


Of Secrets and Oracles

by SwordsandShields99



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2020-11-22 07:41:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 66,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20870621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwordsandShields99/pseuds/SwordsandShields99
Summary: Solas has a secret, and he must do everything in his power to keep it. When he watched from a distance as the Conclave exploded, a felt a jolt of excitement. FINALLY. With Corypheus dead, he could reclaim what was once his and restore this world and bring back The People. Except things never go according to plan, and he should have seen that coming. He’s old enough, he should have learned by now. He must remain close to these strange young ones and find a way to trick them into fighting Corypheus. He must regain what was lost. He must right his wrongs.But Solas isn’t the only one with a Secret. Ellana has a secret all her own, and this secret could change everything.Please leave feedback and kudos if you like :)





	1. Nadas

Solas approached the site of the explosion, almost running. He must be the first one there in order to recover the unlocked orb. Everything was on fire, the flames licked at his hands as he squinted through the smoke and rubble. He cast a quick spell that would locate the source, locate the orb… nothing. How was it gone? It made no sense. He cast a different spell to locate the energy and power. Perhaps it had been released somehow. His staff glowed as he got closer and closer. There was a rift. Did his power enter the fade? 

He heard soldiers approaching, shouting as they entered the sight. He hid behind rubble quickly. Suddenly, the rift ignited and sparked. The soldiers drew their weapons and cautiously surrounded the rift. Out of nowhere, a small elf fell out of the rift. How had she entered the fade and survived? His staff glowed intensely. Her? She had his power? How? How on earth was she still alive? No one from this world should be able to wield it and live. He, alone is powerful enough to sustain it and live, even in his current state. The elf quickly passed out, and the soldiers quickly bound her and carried her away. He followed at a distance. 

They brought her to Haven, and he lost site of her when they entered a building. He watched the camp for a day, learned their guard schedules, learned who was in charge. He retreated to the other side of the lake to consider his options. Surely he could find a way to steal her away, but then what? He didn’t even know what had happened to her, or how to get his power back from her. He would need time to study it, to watch it carefully. So, he decided to do what he does best. Trick. 

He walked right up to the guards and asked to speak to Cassandra. They looked at him suspiciously and held him at sword point.   
  
“Seeker Pentaghast,” Solas said as she approached, “I’ve come to offer my assistance to your cause.”

“Oh?” She said in a steely tone. “And what assistance might that be, apostate? Why shouldn’t I hand you over to the Templars right now?”

“In my travels I have become an expert in the fade. This breach in the sky, these rifts, they are all connected to it. I believe that I could be of valuable assistance to you.”

“Why put yourself in danger of being apprehended? Why help us?”

“If I am correct, these rifts and the breach might very well be the death of us all if not dealt with soon. It would not be in my best interest to let them be. Therefore, it is in everyone’s best interest for me to help you. That is your mission, is it not? To close the breach and restore order?”

“It is.” She said slowly. “Fine. But we are watching you carefully, apostate. Do not use your magic in the camp.” She eyed his staff warily.

“Solas. My name is Solas. I would appreciate it if that is how you addressed me. And here,” he said handing the staff to her. He was quite comfortable without it. “A gesture of good faith.” 

“Thank you….. Come with me Solas, I have something that you might be able to help with.”

She led him to a dark dungeon underneath the chantry. There, he saw the elf from the Conclave, chained in place and still unconscious. The mark on her hand flared and sizzled. There it was. 

“She was found at the site of the breach. She had fallen out of a rift. Do you know how this is possible? Or what that thing is on her hand? We believe it is killing her.”

“It’s no surprise if it is. That mark looks extremely powerful. Maybe too powerful for any one person to sustain. And it is most assuredly fade energy.” He knelt down beside her to examine it. There was no easy way to remove this energy once it was connected to someone. He had made it that way on purpose. “I am uncertain how she physically entered and returned from the fade alive. It will require further study. As for the girl, I believe I can keep her alive. It will take time, and I will need a few potions.”

Cassandra leaned over to a guard, “Get him what he needs. Quickly and quietly.” 

Solas nodded his thanks and began pouring his mana through her body to learn more. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cassandra walked the grounds. She couldn’t sleep. She wasn’t sure what time it was exactly, but she knew dawn would arrive soon. She saw a light out near the tents and decided to let her curiosity get the better of her. They didn’t have very many recruits yet, and the few that they had didn’t seem to want to get up as early as she and Cullen deemed necessary for training. As she approached she realized that the tent was Cullen’s. She heard heavy breathing and began to blush. She suddenly realized it was foolish of her to be so curious by a simple light, she turned on her heel to leave quickly. 

“Cassandra?” Cullen said as he emerged from the tent, sword drawn. “I heard a noise, and decided to check it out. I didn’t expect anyone to be up.” He sheathed his sword with difficulty. His hands were shaking. She looked at him more carefully now, still blushing. She noticed the shine of his brow from sweat, and the blush on his cheeks compared to his very pale skin. He almost looked unwell. 

“Commander, I apologize for the intrusion.”

“Not at all, I…” he stopped short and nearly fell to the ground. “Forgive me,” he grunted in pain.

“Are you alright, Commander? Are you ill?” she asked as she helped him up. 

“I’m afraid it’s the matter we discussed upon my agreeing to join our cause. It’s why I couldn’t sleep. I’m afraid I was in the midst of relieving my stomach when you approached my tent”, he said casting his gaze to the ground.

“I was meaning to check in with you tomorrow to see how you are holding up. Cullen, I stand by my assessment, I do believe that you can do this. But if things are getting worse, if these symptoms…”

“Yes.. I mean no. No, I believe I’ll be alright. It’s been a difficult day.” He rubbed his temples, shutting his eyes hard. 

She looked at him carefully. He still had his wits about him. Hopefully he could conquer these physical symptoms soon. “Let me know if I can be of any assistance, Cullen.” 

He nodded his thanks. “How’s the prisoner? Has she woke?”

“She’s still alive, thanks to the apostate.” She noticed him glare at the word. She wasn’t the only one with apprehension towards the mysterious mage, but if anyone could handle him, it was Cullen and herself. “He believes he is making progress, and I see evidence of that as well. I believe he truly is trying to help.”

“Let us pray we get answers soon, for all our sake.” He said darkly. “I’ll be training more recruits in a few hours,” he said as he turned back towards his tent, “let’s hope that they get themselves out of bed a bit more quickly this morning.” 

She smirked at him, “Here’s hoping.” She walked back to her quarters, and decided to try and get a couple of hours sleep before then. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She was awake. He had sensed her consciousness returning, and informed Cassandra. Reports of the rifts were coming in like wildfires. “Alright you two, here’s your chance to prove yourselves useful. Hold them off until we can get to you.” Cassandra said harshly. 

“Alright, alright, Seeker. Promise not to put me in chains if I live through this?” Varric asked sarcastically. 

Cassandra grunted disgustedly, “I most certainly will not promise you anything, Varric.”

Solas simply nodded and turned to leave, Varric close behind. He wasn’t thrilled leaving without the anchor, but he trusted it wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. “So Chuckles, who the hell are you anyway?” Varric asked. The dwarf had something about him, something Solas knew he needed to be wary of. Like if he got close he might sniff something he shouldn’t. 

“I am from a small village to the north, originally. But I have not called it home for quite some time. And you are from Kirkwall, I hear.” 

“Yeah.” Varric said shortly. 

They reached the rift. Solas watched as spirits surrounded the area. Maybe he could discover their origin, or…_ shhheww.. _an arrow pierced one through the head, and they all turned towards them and took chase. Solas, annoyed with the intrusion, cast a lighting spell that reached all of them at once. “Nice, Chuckles!” Varric yelled enthusiastically. 

_ What a waste, _ Solas thought to himself. Suddenly, he sensed the anchor nearing their location. She was awake, then. Before long, he felt mana rush towards them, and lightning chained to all of the spirits on the field. “Damn demons!” Varric said under his breath has he fired off an exploding shot. 

“Quickly, before more get through!” Solas shouted. He grabbed the anchor and coaxed it’s magically properties into a form that would seal the rift. Hopefully, she would know to send her mana through it and send it in the right direction. And then she did. He studied her carefully, the first time seeing her conscious. She was cautious, reserved. Deservedly so, considering the circumstances. If she could just do that again on a larger scale, theoretically she could seal the breach in the same manner. He doubted it, given that she did not have access to the fade. Perhaps she could at least stabilize it. He watched her carefully as she spoke with the others. She was calm under pressure, sure of herself, even naturally led at the front of the group as they approached the breach. _Interesting_, he thought.

He felt the energy from the fade pouring from the breach as they approached. If it was only stable, perhaps he could find someway to use it, to tear down the veil this way. After a short battle, he watched as she pointed the anchor towards the breach. She poured her mana into it. It wasn’t enough. He realized it might not even be enough to stabilize it, in fact she might just be provoking it into destabilizing. For a split second, he even felt afraid. This could end everything. And then, she yelled out and poured forth everything she had. He felt a snap of energy, and the breach stabilized. She collapsed to the ground, unconscious once again. She wasn’t built for this kind of power. None of them were anymore. He checked her pulse. “Strong and steady” he said to Cassandra, “she’s just exhausted. I suspect it took everything she had at the moment.”

“And the breach?” Cassandra asked as she looked up at the broken sky.

“Stabilized, at the least. It is not an urgent threat any longer. Whether it permanently remains so is less certain. It should be our goal to eliminate it.”

“Will she recover?” Cassandra asked with true concern. Then quickly added, “We… we will most likely need her to do that.” 

“I believe so. She needs rest. We should take her back to Haven.” He felt the need to protect her. She held the key to his salvation, after all. He quickly placed his staff into it’s sling on his back, and bent down. He gently lifted her off the ground. Varric raised an eyebrow at him, but said nothing. 

“Very well. Our soldiers have earned a rest after all, as has she", Cassandra replied, turning to give the order.

The walk back to Haven was quiet. Occasionally, he reached out with his mana to check on her. 

“You got that, Chuckles? You’re not exactly made of muscles.” Varric said with a sly grin. “The Commander’s up ahead. He could probably carry her the rest of the way back if we caught up with him.”

“Thank you for your concern, child of the stone. No, while I might not be as you say, ‘made of muscles’, she is very light. It is not a problem.” He didn’t mention that he had also been casting restorative spells on his arms. He felt as if he’d only been carrying her for a moment, instead of down a mountain side for an hour. “However, if you feel you’d like to contribute to the effort, you can carry her for a short while.” He glanced at Varric sideways. 

“No, no. Not me, Chuckles. I hate mountains enough as it is without having to carry shit.”

Solas glanced down quickly at the elf. She was indeed small, thankfully. She had blonde hair that seemed much brighter than he had realized, with soft strands of auburn that he hadn’t noticed before. She had soft freckles all over her cheeks and nose. She smelled of sage and lavender, and he breathed it in. It was almost calming. He poured a bit more restorative mana into her.

“By the Maker, are you taken with her, Chuckles?”   
  
“I beg your pardon?” Solas said with an annoyed tone.

“You’re staring.” 

“I am attempting to heal her with restorative mana, but you are making me lose my focus, Child of the Stone.”

“Hmm..” Varric grunted.

Solas hadn’t even noticed the dwarf watching him. It unnerved him. It was rare indeed. He’d have to keep a very close eye on this dwarf. 

When they arrived at Haven, Solas assured Cassandra that he would tend to the ‘prisoner’, and report anything serious to her. “However, I believe that after I give her a tonic and a bit more restorative energy, she will awake when she is rested. I will leave her to rest when I have finished.” Cassandra nodded, and left the cabin.

Solas turned to the elf… Ellana. He peered at the anchor, softly glowing. _ Such a waste, _ he thought, of the anchor and of the tiny elf on the bed. The features of the elves were familiar at least. He brushed her hair away from her face gently, revealing her ears. He blushed slightly, and got to work. He left her shortly thereafter, and heard many people speaking of her. “The Herald of Andraste”. He laughed softly to himself, and internally rolled his eyes. They were so young, so foolish. It was ridiculous. He stormed off to mediate by the lake for the rest of the day.


	2. Coquetry

When he first saw Ellana, she looked no different from any of them. The 'elves' of this time. He would be lying if he said she wasn't beautiful. In another life, if she and all others from this time weren't shadows, ghosts, ruined and disintegrated into lesser-beings, he might have even admitted his attraction. If she was also powerful and intelligent, and knew the hearts of The People and fought for their freedom, he might even pursue her. If these people even had an ounce of their former selves, and could access even a small amount of their power from their 'fade', and understood just how.... becoming angry was pointless and a waste of time. He needed to stay focused on the task at hand. They were in this state because of his actions, and he would restore what once was, even if he had to reset the whole world to do it. 

Ellana had arrived in such mystery that no one trusted her at first. She claimed to not remember anything about the conclave, and refused to give any information about her clan or where she came from. She claimed that speaking of her clan and their location would lead to inevitable attack by humans, and it was her duty to protect them. After she so willingly and voluntarily helped stabilize the breach, and with no small amount of kindness to everyone she met, she started earning their trust. It didn't surprise him that she could not remember the events of the conclave. It was a miracle a mere mortal survived carrying his power, and he doubted her mind could make sense of it. However, largely due to his own personal experience with deceit, he could sniff out a lie easily. Her tale of her clan and how she came to be near the Conclave smelled of deceit, and he watched her closely. He could not afford to lose the power she now had. _ Perhaps I should get closer to her, earn her trust. _As soon he thought this, she rounded the corner. He made sure he wasn't difficult to find to avoid suspicion, and from where he stood he could easily monitor the breach.

"I'd be interested on hearing your opinions on Elven culture", she asked.

He internally rolled his eyes at this. The Dalish were arrogant, believing they held all remaining knowledge of ancient Elven culture, and they got just about all of it wrong. Their opinions and stories of him certainly did not endear them to him in any way. He couldn't help but respond with bitterness.

After he did, she seemed genuinely hurt. "Ir ableas, Hahren. If the Dalish have done you a disservice, I would make that right."

He was taken aback by her reply. While she was clearly annoyed with him, but the Dalish did not give a person this title they did not believe was deserving of it. Hahren, was not something any modern person had called him yet. Most treated him as a strange hobo apostate. A terrible term, apostate. Not only did she respect him, but she seemed to sense his slight disdain for the Dalish was borne of personal experience. Her words were sincere. 

"Ir abelas... Da'len. If I can offer any understanding, you have but to ask", he replied softly.

She came to him often after this. They spoke of many things, and while he may not have given her the entire truth, the answers he chose to give were all true. He needed them at a distance, and yet he needed their trust in order to stay close by and be ready to recover what he had lost. It was difficult to manage, but he believed she seemed comfortable around him, and perhaps that would be enough to get by until the time came for him to take back his power. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Solas was out for his early morning walk, thinking of his friend, Felassan. Had he made a mistake? No, it had been necessary. This is war. His soul is already damned, what's one more trusted friend's life taken by his own hand. They were all dead because of him. Whether he stabbed them in the back or vicariously ripped their essence away from them. Felassan had given up on the mission, and when it came down to it, Solas knew he would have aided these young ones and fought against him. Still, this was a lonely path, and it was all the more lonely without Felassan. He spoke a silent sorry to the wind knowing that no one would hear it, and he knew his soul was damned.

He came across a small set of footprints in the snow. He reached out and could sense her mana and his anchor somewhere deep in the forest. He was curious, and decided to seek her out. Most of the time, he was the first to rise in an attempt to stay disciplined and to keep his eyes and ears open to any and all information. He believed himself to be a good spy, and found that an elf in this age could go many places unnoticed, and therefore learn many secrets. 

He reached a small clearing and saw her standing in the center of it. He watched as she meditated, and he could feel massive amounts of energy being pulled to her. He was actually quite impressed. He searched the area, and saw a blanket with two apples, a canteen of water, and a few books. He recognized the books as the ones he had loaned her two days ago. She had clearly taken his suggestions to heart, for the technique she was practicing now was from one of the books on the blanket, and she had almost perfected it. Suddenly, he felt as if all the surrounding air were being sucked to the center of the clearing, and he held his breath. Her mana was almost radiant, and her hair started floating outwards around her. He braced himself behind a tree, just in case she was successful. This technique would be extremely useful if she were completely surrounded, for when she releases all this energy everyone around her would be thrown back several feet and stunned. If he were to use this technique, anyone around him would surely end up dead. All of a sudden, everything went silent, she rose her marked hand in the air and let out a beam of the gathered energy mixed with the power from the mark into the air. All that energy and power, given such directed focus, could surely stun a fully grown dragon out of the sky. He was quite honestly amazed at the subtlety and control she was able to gain using this technique in such a short period of time. This combined with the fact that she, a mere mortal, survived the conclave and carrying his immortal power - she truly would have been a force to be reckoned with, if she had been alive during his time. Slowly, the air returned to normal and she lowered her hand as her hair settled around her shoulders. Motionless she asked, "Hahren, do you have any suggestions for improvement?"

"No, da'len. That was quite good." Honestly, unless he could restore the world and allow her to access forgotten ancient powers and the true fade, there was not much she could do to improve that technique. 

She turned to face him, with a brilliant smile. "Thank you for your previous suggestions then, Hahren." She walked over and handed him the three books from the blanket. "They have been very helpful."

"Surely you have not finished them all since we spoke last night, da'len?" 

"They were so helpful, that I couldn't seem to put them down."

"More of that indomitable focus, I see" he flirted. He found himself doing that more often lately, and each time he would scold himself internally.

She gave him a wink, as she sat on the blanket. "Care to join me? I have an extra apple." He sat down and took one from her hand as she bit into the other. "I was wondering if you could help me improve my healing magic, Solas? It is a secret passion of mine."

"Of course, Ellana. I'm flattered that you'd ask me to help you with these things."

"Who else, Hahren? I know that many here don't treat you with respect, but they truly don't know what an asset you are. You are more powerful than you reveal, with good cause seeing how people view mages these days." She mostly referred to him as Hahren recently. She truly seemed to respect him, and it was endearing. Many people of this world were too easily fooled by appearance, and overlooked him entirely. Which quite honestly had come in handy. It was easy to hide, and if there was one thing Fen’Harel was good at, it was hiding in plain sight.

"Would you like a short lesson now?" he asked, curious to see just how much she knew of healing magic. "We could work on healing minor scrapes or bruises?" She nodded enthusiastically. He gave himself a small cut on his hand, and heard her make a small gasp. "Do not worry, we can heal it easily and it is small." He took her hand and placed it on his. "Focus on your mana, bring it to your hand and I will guide it." He looked at her face, a small wrinkle between her brows, concentrating on her task. He instantly felt the mana in her hand and guided it into a healing form around the cut. She was bending down slightly to examine his hand and he could smell her hair, the same sage and lavender scent from before. He saw her ear sticking through her hair, and noticed the small piercings that decorated her earlobes. She really was quite beautiful. It was too bad… such a waste. 

"I believe it is completely healed. Are there improvements to be made, or can we move on to more?" she asked earnestly. She rose her head and saw a strange look on his face.

She looked a bit confused, so he answered quickly. "That was perfectly fine. Let's move on." He made another cut on his hand, slightly bigger this time so that blood was trickling down his finger. "Let's see if you can stop the bleeding. Hover your hand over the cut, and poor your mana over the area. I will assist if needed."

She did as he asked, but she was hesitant. "There must be a better way than hurting yourself." Her mana surrounded the cut, but she seemed unsure. He reached out with his own mana and guided hers through the healing. 

Feeling his mana mingling with her own was an odd sensation. She had been alone for so long without a clan, that the only time she had clashed mana with another was in battle against one another, never working together. His mana was dark and strong. She was close to him, and he smelled of cedar with the soft hint of earthy pine and peppermint. She leaned in a bit closer to examine his wound healing. She felt their mana sealing the area to stop the bleeding.

He examined her mana carefully as well. It was a bright jade green with hints of emerald, and while it was strong it was also very flexible and he found it easy to guide her. She was much closer to him now, and he could tell she was becoming more comfortable with the spell. He placed his hand on hers, "If you move a bit closer, you're healing time will become slightly more proficient." And within a few seconds, he was completely healed. She looked up with an accomplished smile, not realizing how close she had gotten to him. His eyes were a pale blue, with small darker flecks. She looked at the light sprinkling of freckles on his face, and found his features to be quite handsome. She lingered a bit too long, and felt him tense slightly. 

"Thank you for teaching me. Perhaps we can continue later? Do you have any books on healing magic?" 

He removed his hand from hers slowly. "Yes, a few. You should also begin studying anatomy. I'll give you a book on that as well. I suggest starting with bone structure, as broken bones are very common, and are very difficult to heal instantly, but it can be done."

They walked back to Haven, and he noticed that they were rather close. He also noticed that he didn't really mind. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

She approached him the next day to return the healing books. "Keep them, da'len. You may need to reference them." 

"You won't need to reference them?" she asked teasingly taking a step towards him. 

"No," he chuckled, "I've used their contents frequently enough to have committed it to memory. How is the anatomy studying going?"

"Fairly well. It will take some time to memorize the bone structures, especially the Dwarven bone structure, but I believe I will get the hang of it shortly. One of the pictures did puzzle me though," she continued as he raised a curious brow, "The bone structure in the arms of elves seems slightly different than that of humans, but I had difficulty deciphering exactly what those were."

"Ah, yes. The details in that particular text can be hard to make out. I'm sure you noticed that the human ulta and radius, here," he lightly touched her arm, "is a bit shorter. But something that is commonly missed is that the superior margin of the scapula," he brushed her shoulder, "and the thoracic aperture" he grazed near her collar bone, "are all a bit stockier on humans." He watched as goosebumps rose on her chest as he grazed her skin. 

"I see," she said as she took another step closer.

He caught the sage and lavender scent he had grown to appreciate, and smiled at her politely. He realized that he had engaged in this, but had not intended it go farther. He was still a physical being, and had he lived a different life he would act on instinct. But she was a ghost, trapped in a time and world that were shadows without color. Still, he was lonely. Flirtatious behavior felt like a small reprieve from his duty. 

He took the book and opened it to the page that highlighted the bones in the arm. "Here," he pointed. She stepped so close that her hip brushed against his, and he felt her hair sweep across his arm. Now he had goosebumps. 

"Thank you", she said softly. She peered up at him, and gave him a sly smile as she stepped back. 

"Ellana!" Cassandra called out as she approached, "We need you in the war room. There are things that we need to take care of."

Ellana smiled at Solas, and walked away slowly. Was she swaying her hips like that on purpose? He wasn't complaining. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They were leaving for the Hinterlands in the morning. Ellana had asked Varric and Solas to accompany her and Cassandra throughout the region, and they both readily agreed to help. Before they left however, he needed to gather as much information as possible. Nightingale had kept an annoyingly close watch on him, her spies were everywhere. She was good, but he was better. Where most went wrong when it came to people like Leliana, was they stayed too clean. Solas knew, that if you were looking into someone and gathering intelligence, they were either sloppy and left too much evidence, or were so clean it was like they never existed before you met them. So Solas left little bits and pieces in his wake, just enough to give her something. Just enough to make everything seem as if he were just an apostate who had nothing left behind because he lived on the run. You didn't live as long as he had without learning the art of subterfuge and evasion. No one here would ever know that he could just as easily slit your throat from the shadows or charge into battle with a sword almost as easily as he could immolate you to dust. 

He snuck into the war room, and read all the papers that were available. Something was missing, and he knew it. Nightingale wouldn't just leave things lying about. He snuck into Leliana, Josephine, and Cassandra's quarters and slid through the shadows to a lock-box underneath Nightingale's bed. He sensed their unconsciousness with his mana to ensure they didn't stir. It was open in seconds. He scanned the papers briefly and exited without a trace. 

He silently began to walk from the Chantry and noticed the Commander near the fire. The commanders hands shook as he rubbed his forehead. '_Withdraw symptoms? Curious.' _Solas wondered, why on earth would the man not be taking lyrium. He knew of teas and herbs that could help those symptoms, but to help a man who had dedicated his life to enslaving and harming people just because they were naturally gifted? He deserved this fate. Solas walked away coldly into the night. 

_'Maker, I'm so damned cold. My insides are aching, everything is shaking, I can't eat. There isn't enough water in the world to quench this thirst. How am I going to do this?_' Cullen sighed hard and leaned over, putting his hands through his hair. 

"You alright there, Curly?" Varric asked, approaching cautiously. "You look like you're about to hurl."

"Must be the food", Cullen said softly. "Can't seem to keep the stuff down."

"Yeah, I can definitely understand that. I hear Flissa makes damned good herb soup though, I bet she'd make you something."

"Thanks Varric, I'll try that tomorrow. How are you holding up?"

"Oh, you know. We're ass-deep in demons, Cassandra's being... well, Cassandra. And there's a hole in the sky. So pretty much the same as usual for me." 

"Sounds about right," Cullen chuckled.

"Well, when you're not about to up-chuck your dinner, we should grab a drink sometime. We've got to find some positives around here or we'll go crazy. That serious expression you always wear isn't good for your health. G'night."

"Sounds good. Good Night." Cullen remembered meeting Varric before, and he was starting to appreciate the man's character. Hopefully, with any luck, he'd be able to eat and drink again soon. "Ugh," he groaned as he got up and headed to his tent.


	3. Memories and Nightmares

Ellana had been cautious. She had kept everyone at a safe distance for the most part. She truly did want to help. She wanted to save Thedas and close the damned hole in the sky. But she was walking a tightrope, and if she fell off, she wasn't quite sure what that would mean for the future. She knew there were many refugees who needed help here at the Crossroads of the Hinterlands. People were starving, cold and sick. She needed to help them, and knew that Cole would eventually approve of that. _'Wait... who? Huh..'_, she thought to herself. They sat at camp, preparing their gear for the day. The early morning sun shone through the trees, and made the dew on the grass shimmer like diamonds. She watched Solas carefully. She had gotten close to him the past 2 weeks since she met him, with more intent than she let on. The flirtation had been obvious, and she was glad he responded to it. What started out as calculated flirtation however, turned into genuine interest. _'Stupid girl. This is dangerous. You are surrounded by people who don't trust you, especially him. What are you doing?!', _she chastised herself. She saw his lips turn upwards just the slightest, and she knew he had caught her staring. And she needed to be careful around Varric. He had a good heart, and an incredible eye for detail that was often underestimated. 

"So, Shiny, tell me why we're about to run around some hillsides chasing rams? I know Bianca is amazing, but I'm no hunter", Varric asked.

"People are starving, Varric. Just pretend like the rams are assholes, it'll be fun", she teased as she shot him a grin. 

Between Ellana and Solas' freezing spells and Varric's impeccable aim, Cassandra eventually just tagged along behind them. "You all are taking the fun out of this. It's over before it begins" she said with a smile. Ellana was glad to see everyone starting to get along and trust each other. They delivered the rams and the cache locations all by the late afternoon. And then, they encountered a rift. Demons were stalking around the affected area. 

"Well, this is it", Cassandra said. "This is what we're here for. Are you ready Ellana?" 

Ellana looked at her hesitantly, and then glanced at Solas. He nodded at her with a small smile. "Ready as I'll ever be." 

"That's the spirit, gotta put that shiny hand to use. At least this time Bianca get's to hunt down some real assholes" Varric said as he ran to a slightly elevated location. 

Solas covered them all in a defensive barrier, and they began the fight. They had a bit to be desired in terms of team work. They didn't huddle close enough together to make the barriers cover all of them at once. Right when Cassandra was about to make a crushing blow, Ellana knocked the demon back using her magic. Cassandra swung forward into the air, losing her balance. She grunted unhappily and chased after it. But within ten minutes, the fighting was over and Ellana had managed to seal the rift. 

"So.." Ellana said out of breath, "I suppose we should start training together."

"That would be wise" Cassandra replied in huffs. 

They returned to camp dirty and sore, and ready for the fire and food that awaited them. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Varric watched Ellana as she ate dinner and spoke with Solas near the fire. There was something about her he just couldn't put his finger on. Maybe it was the weird mojo in her arm giving off a strange vibe, but still, there was something there. And yet, he trusted her. He really did. And he liked her. She was a sweet kid. A bit to learn when it came to battle but still, she was strong and he could tell she had a real talent as a mage.

"I misjudged her in the beginning", Cassandra said quietly as she sat next to him.

"In your defense, Seeker, she had just fallen out of a hole where the Conclave used to be with a glowing green hand. There wasn't much you could have done better given the situation. You kept an open mind, and she's fighting along side us because of that." Cassandra looked at him, shocked. "I'm not a sarcastic asshole 100% of the time, Seeker."

"No," she said sarcastically, "just about 90% of the time then?"

He laughed outright, "That sounds about right."

She looked at the fire. "Maybe she wasn't the only one I misjudged."

"By the stars, was that an apology, Seeker?"

"As close as you'll get, dwarf." She looked at him with a scowl. 

"Well then I'll take it", he said still laughing. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ellana slurped up the awful food in her bowl. She couldn't even say for certain what it was. "What in the hell is this, Solas?" she asked poking at it with her spoon. 

"Some sort of stew, I believe. Humans really love just mixing all of the mushy things up together don't they?"

"Eck," she said as she contorted her face.

"Here," he said as he handed her some dried fruit and ghial’bradh. 

She gasped, "Where on earth.... you have ghial'bradh in your bag, Solas? You've been holding out on me. Thank you!" She took it and savored a bite of the sweet bread with dried berries and nuts. 

He laughed softly. "Yes well, with no oven I won't be making more of it until we return."

"And you made this yourself? Well of course, who else would make this at Haven. Very impressive. I'll have to return this gift when we return. I make an excellent grid'iathe." She smiled up at him.

He sighed. "It has been quite sometime since I have had grid'iathe.... I would like that very much," he smiled back.

She saw a sadness behind his eyes, and she longed to fix it. "Solas, will you tell me more of your journeys from the fade?"

His eyes lit up, "I would be happy to share it with you." He spoke at length of ancient battlefields and ruins, and of the people he saw there. Eventually, Cassandra, Varric, and the guards went to their tents for the evening. "Are you tired as well, Da'len?"

"To be honest, I think I'll sleep out here tonight. I've missed the stars. You're more than welcome to stay for as long as you'd like. We can watch them together. Look there," she pointed to the sky, "there is the great huntress. And there, a faithful Marabi. My keeper used to stay up at night and show us the constellations. I'm afraid I don't remember very many of them though." She leaned back against a log and stared into the heavens. She felt him lie close to her. He began pointing out several. Eventually, the fell into silence and enjoyed the beauty before them. She had managed to scoot closer to him while they were talking, and as he rested his arm down on the ground, she managed to make sure her arm was there. He let his arm settle on hers, his other hand on his chest as he stared above.

"Will you tell me one more story from you journeys?" she asked softly.

She noticed a small smile at the corner of his lips before he spoke of ancient spirits he had encountered. His voice was velvety and soothing, and she found herself listening to the tone and inflection of his voice, missing parts of his story. She looked over at him as he described a spirit so kind that it helped the people in the village fall in love with kind-hearted mates. She watched his face, the freckles on his cheeks dance in the moonlight like they were reflecting the stars. As he finished, he looked over at her as well. She watched as his face changed into a puzzled expression. "It was enjoyable spending the evening with you, Da'len. The stars... are beautiful." He quickly moved his arm and propped himself up off the log. "I believe I will also sleep beneath the stars this evening." He got up and moved to the other side of the fire. "Good night, Ellana." 

"Good night, Solas. Thank you for the ghial'bradh, and your stories." He nodded, and lingered for a split-second before lying down and turning to face away from her. 

She gazed up at the stars._ "Stupid... stupid.. girl" _she thought to herself. _'He doesn't know. None of them do. You have to be more careful, Ellana. Stupid, stupid girl. Too much depends on your success.' _She rolled over on her side. Maybe she would find peace in the fade as she slept.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She could tell as soon as she awoke in the fade, that this was one of _those_ dreams. Ellana had a secret. She was capable of more than she let on, and it was most apparent when she dreamt in the fade. But it felt different from what she was used to. Perhaps the mark on her hand was changing even this about her. Things were oddly out of focus and lacked the color she was used to. She was somewhere she had never been before. It felt like she was seeing a memory. _'This is new.... a memory? But whose?'_ She saw a mirror near by and caught her reflection. _'Solas! This is Solas' memory? Or is this just a dream?'_ She, or Solas rather, approached a dalish elf. The elf had his back to Solas, and was kneeling. "Y_ou know, I suspect you'll hate this'", _the dalish man said, "_but she reminds me of--",_ before he could finish she, Solas rather, reached out and sent a stream of magic through the man's skull. The man never even saw it coming. She screamed in her own mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Ellana woke with a start. She shot up, and looked over at where Solas was. He was also sitting straight up, a small trickle of sweat running down his brow. "Da'len... Ellana? Are you ok?" 

"S..Solas... I.." she looked at him, trying to contain the horror she felt as she did. They had woken at the same time. Had she been seeing his dream? "Yes... Did you have a Nightmare, Solas?" 

He looked at her for a moment before answering. "Yes.... I witnessed the death of a dear friend. What about you?"

She nodded, "Yes, something similar to that as well." She looked down at the mark on her hand thoughtfully. _'Careful, now'_, she thought to herself. "Solas.... have you.. have you ever killed a person?"

He looked at her with a guarded expression, ".... Yes. Why do you ask?" His tone flat and cautious. 

"I just... I imagine that before this is all over, well. I never have, you see. I'm just... scared I suppose." 

He nodded, "I see." He looked into the fire. "Da'len, sometimes we must do things that are wrong to have a just end. In war, each individual solider is a man. He has a life, a family, those who care for him. I have seen war Da'len. I regret each life I have taken. But men die in war. It is a part of life, that seems unavoidable. If you are becoming a soldier in this fight, I fear you might indeed encounter this. But you are protecting those you care for, protecting a greater cause." He looked at her, "Each person I have killed in war, their life was stolen from them. Their dreams and aspirations, all that might of been. And I regret it deeply. That, I'm afraid, will weigh heavily on your conscious. But it should. The moment it no longer does, is the moment that you lose a part of yourself forever." He paused. 

She knew she still had a stricken look on her face. The image of his hand reaching out, killing the man dead without hesitation, flashed in her mind, and she shivered. "But I don't believe that will happen to you Ellana. You're a good person, with a good heart. But you must have the strength to do what must be done. You are the one with the mark. I know that you can do this." 

"Thank you, Solas", she said quietly. She paused a moment before lifting herself from the ground, "I think I'll sleep on my cot for the rest of the evening. Thank you for helping me." She paused at the tent entrance. "Forgive me, you also had a nightmare. Do you wish to speak of it?"

He shook his head, "I think we both require sleep now."

She nodded, "Good night then."

"Goodnight, Ellana."

She could feel him watching her closely as she entered the tent. A tear rolled down her cheek as she laid down on her cot. She prayed that she wouldn't dream.


	4. Lethanavir

The journey back to Haven was filled with an awkward silence. Solas watched the group carefully. Their dynamic had shifted, and it made him uneasy. He watched Varric as the dwarf studied Ellana’s face. The child of the stone had a knack for noticing other people’s thoughts. Cassandra led the group, and kept a wary eye open for bandits. Solas reflected on the previous evening. He had felt her warmth, noticed her smile and her small, barely there advances. He had even allowed her to become close to him. It had been so long since he had felt the spark in the pit of his stomach at the touch of another, and he allowed himself the moment. Then, the nightmare. He awoke with a headache and a knot of guilt and regret in his stomach. Her question of murder was especially timed, and Solas had learned not to believe in coincidence. Had he spoke aloud in his sleep? Or was she being truthful about having nightmares of her own? He wasn’t sure, but he knew he needed to keep a closer eye on her… and he needed to be more careful. 

“There, a rift!” Cassandra called out, pointing to a field on the far left of the trail.

“We must close it!” Solas called back. 

“Stand close to Solas and I for barriers. Cassandra, I’ll watch for your position and cover your back. Once they are weakened, I will send a pulse through the rift, maybe it can hurt them?” Ellana said in a clear voice.

“Let’s get this over with,” Varric said warily. 

The battle went much better than their previous encounter with a rift. Still a few kinks to work out, but they were completely uninjured. “Nice work, Shiny!” Varric said as he clapped her on the back. Ellana grinned as she mounted her hart. The rest of the ride felt shorter after that, but she didn’t look back at Solas the entire ride home. Only one more night till Haven. Hopefully, this night would be much less eventful. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Solas walked through a field of purple, the green mist of the fade circling him as he dreamed. He focused his mind, and suddenly ancient and beautiful buildings of his people surrounded him. He waved his hands and stairs magically constructed leading up to a tower. He glided up the steps, and his humble clothing faded into a flowing white shirt, with gold plating around the neck and wrists. He had gold plated leg armor, and his feet were wrapped in magical cloth. He entered a small room with a strange and damaged throne, and sat in it. He smiled as his friend approached.

“Ar-melana dirthavaren. Revas viranaris” he heard her say quietly. 

“Andaran atish’an, Lethallen.” Wisdom entered the room, her spirit-self shining brightly. 

“Lathanavir”, she responded slyly. He raised his eyebrows at her, his mouth turning into a small frown. “Felassan.” 

He looked down. “Garas quenathra?” he asked bitterly. 

“Ir abelas, Solas. Lasa ghilan.” 

“Ir abelas”, he responded quietly. 

“Mala suldein nadas, Lethallin.” She stood unmoving. 

“Melava inan enanasal, Ir su aravel tu Elvaral, U na emma abelas, In elgar sa vir mana” she sang the old song.

Solas sighed heavily and rested his head in a hand as he slouched across the throne. He was about to argue, and she cut him off, “Tel garas solasan, Telanadas. Mar solas ena mar din”, she spoke gravely. 

“Ma nuvenin” he replied shortly as he stood, and walked out of his dreams. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Even Wisdom did not believe that what he had done was necessary, and she usually understood. He stared at the ceiling of the tent. Perhaps he had made a grave error, and one of his oldest friends had paid the price. But he couldn’t afford to think this way. The moment you start doubting yourself is the moment you begin to lose the battle. And if he lost this battle, forgot this war, he would have nothing left.

He needed to remedy the situation with the elf. He was quite sure he could gain Ellana’s confidence with some effort. He rose early and prepared a Dalish breakfast using what little he could find in the wilderness. He heard her stir in her tent, and she rushed out.

“What is that smell?” she asked him.

“I thought you might appreciate some good food. Perhaps you are feeling homesick?” he replied gently.

Cassandra approached the fire and took a sniff. “Is that…. Bark?” she asked.

“Only a small amount. I assure you, this type brings out a lovely flavor.”

“Hmm…” she grunted as she left to run through her morning warm-up. 

“If there’s enough, I’ll give it a go” Varric said happily as he exited his tent. 

“Of course”, Solas replied as he handed him a bowl. 

“This is really nice, Solas. Thank you.” Ellana said as she stared into the fire. She still wasn’t making eye contact with him.

“I’d be happy to make it anytime you wish” he responded in a smooth velvet voice. Varric’s eyebrows raised once again. Ellana glanced at him with a slight blush.

“This isn’t half bad, Chuckles. I make some pretty good recipes from back home that would knock the hair off your…. Never mind.” Cassandra laughed aloud before coughing and continuing her exercises. Ellana laughed into her palm and her cheeks and tips of her ears turned pink. Solas was happy to be the butt of the joke if it lightened their moods and took down their defenses slightly. His ears did tinge a bit pink, which made him all the more endeared to the group. “Sorry, Chuckles” Varric said, still laughing. He gave a sideways glance at Ellana. There was happiness in her eyes, and he needed to keep it going. He needed their trust, so he decided to do something only a friend would do: small amounts of retaliation. He sent a small shock out and zapped Varric in the bottom. “Waahh!” Varric exclaimed as he jumped up. Solas genuinely snorted into his bowl, pretending to act innocent. “I see how it is, Chuckles” Varric said with a grin. What Solas didn’t realize, is that he had just started a small prank war with Varric that would soon annoy him greatly. 

Soon after, they left for Haven. They would arrive by mid-afternoon. The group felt much lighter now, and he felt a bit relieved. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ellana tried her best to shake off the feeling of terror and disgust she had felt last night. She knew that she hadn’t seen the whole picture, but murder… killing was never ok. It hadn’t seemed like a kill on a battle field. It had felt as if the men were close, and the Dalish elf had been resigned to his fate without even trying to fight back. When he looked at her this morning by the fire, Solas’ eyes emitted nothing but gentleness and kindness. She didn’t see any bit of the look he had in the mirror from the dream. It was unnerving to say the least. She had learned at this point to trust in her dreams, and to trust in her unusual abilities. While this was a new sensation, it felt very much the same as all the others. And honestly, given what she already knew about him, was she really surprised? _'The Dread Wolf, Ellana. Stupid girl. Not the playful puppy. The . Dread. Wolf. Did you really expect anything else from him?'_ she yelled at herself in her head. A part of her mind flashed back to the gentleness in his eyes. Now that, certainly did surprise her. 

When they arrived in Haven, she quickly retreated to the lake. It was peaceful there. The sound of the water quietly lapping at the shore, the snow and the trees gave the surrounding area a silent serenity that she hadn’t experienced in the Dales. While it was cold, it was nothing a simple heating spell couldn’t solve. She allowed her mind to rest as she meditated and focused on the nature around her. When she felt calm, she returned to the chantry to check in with the advisors. 

When she walked into the war room, Leliana and Josephine were giggling about some poor souls shoes and Cullen was bent over the war table placing strategic markers. “Nothing like the Commanders shoes” Leliana teased.

“Oh no, our Commander has impeccable sense in battle shoes. Look at the shine on that armor too,” Josephine replied.

Cullen blushed and put a hand behind his neck, but did not respond. “Oh, Ellana, you’ve returned”, he said quickly in a relieved tone. 

“Please, don’t let me interrupt” she said slyly. “I’d also like to admire your armor and shoes.”

“Ugh,” he sighed. 

They continued teasing Cullen until his face was beat red. 

“Perhaps we should discuss your trip?” Cullen begged. “And there are other matters to attend to.”

“Oh, fine”, Leliana laughed. 

Ellana felt happier than she had in a while. The four of them had grown much closer since she had arrived. They were good people, and she was determined not to let them down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ar-melana dirthavaren. Revas viranaris - Secret Greeting of Fen'Harel  
Andaran atish’an, Lethallen - Enter in peace, my friend  
Lathanavir - Friend of the Dead  
Garas quenathra - Why have you come?  
Ir abelas - I'm sorry  
Lasa ghilan - to offer guidance  
Mala suldein nadas, Lethallin - Now you must endure my friend
> 
> Tel garas solasan, Telanadas - Come not to a prideful place, nothing is inevitable  
Mar solas ena mar din - Your pride will be your death  
Ma nuvenin - As you say
> 
> The Old Song:  
Melava inan enanasal, Ir su aravel tu Elvaral, U na emma aelas, In elgar sa vir mana:  
Time was once a blessing, but journeys are made longer when alone within


	5. Ma Serannas

While her current companions stood in awe of shining city of Val Royeaux, Cassandra continued through the gates. She had always hated this kind of city, and the people within. She wanted nothing to do with them, and yet here she was. She would need to hit something at camp, although the make-shift camp practice dummies would most definitely not be enough. When she saw the Chantry mothers on the far side of the market place, a small part of her heart felt relieved. While the Chantry was in a state of chaos and many of its officials were not listening to reason due to panic, the Chantry was still a place of peace and sacred duty. Surely she could make them see reason. When the Chantry Mother lashed out at them, she felt hurt. Why can't they see? These revered mothers were supposed to be wise, to fight for just causes, to fight for the lowely in times of need. And like a foolish child who can't seem to learn a lesson, upon seeing Lord Seeker Lucius, once again her heart sighed in relief. If there was a group she understood even more than the Chantry, it was the Seekers and the Templars. She was certain that the groups that represented all of the things she valued and stood for would stand up for justice and reason. And once again, she found her heart hurting and stunned. After the encounter, she felt numb, like the wind had been knocked out of her. Why was this happening? Something didn't feel right.

Out of nowhere, an arrow whizzed by her head and landed in the ground. "What was that?!" she cried out, "An arrow with a message?". She had sounded more panicked than she would have liked to upon retrospect, but the only times arrows flew past her face they were usually carrying a much more urgent thing than a piece of paper. The message was usually, 'I'm aiming for your heart and I'm trying to kill you'.

The message asked the inquisitor to meet, but meet whom? _'Ugh, more secrets and mystery. I've had enough of that for a day.'_

Just as they decided to check it out, the encountered a messenger. _'At least he's not shooting arrows at us', _she thought bitterly.  
  
_'Ugh, more Orlesian Nobles to meet? This day can't get any worse.'_ No sooner had she thought it, did Fioana pop around the corner scaring the living wits out of her. _'I've done this to myself',_ she thought bitterly as she gripped her sword. She trusted Fiona about as far as she could through a nug, or any mage for that matter. She suddenly realized that now included some of the people closest to her. Without even realizing it her opinions had changed. "Ugh.." she accidentally said out loud, quickly looking the other way to not appear rude. The rebel mage offered a potential alliance, but she was not sure if they should take her up on that offer. 

Cassandra was quiet, more so than normal, as they traveled to meet Vivienne, another potential alliance with a mage. At least this one wasn't a rebel, and had remained loyal to the Circle. Cassandra felt as if her whole world was shattering. The Chantry, the Seekers, the Templars... were they all corrupt? Were they not what she had grown to believe? She had dedicated her life to them and their causes, but was it all a lie? By the Maker, what if Ellana wasn't a Herald of anything? Cassandra realized that Ellana had insisted that she wasn't, but that hadn't stopped Cassandra from romanticizing the situation, hoping beyond hope that some of this had meaning. That Ellana was sent by the Maker in their time of need. Ellana had stated outright that she believed in a Maker, just perhaps not the Chantry or it's version of history. Cassandra thought of her brother, Anthony, and the shadow he had cast on her and then the shadow that was cast as he left her behind to join the Maker's side. What would he have thought about this? What would he have done? She heard Ellana leaving Vivienne's residence, and turned to meet her. 

"Have we gained an Alliance, Herald?"

"I believe we have," Ellana replied tensely. She shook her head, "Even so, I don't really trust her. I have a feeling we will disagree on much. But I suppose that is necessary. Diverse opinions equates to diverse options in our quest, and that will be beneficial."

Cassandra nodded in agreement, "Wise words, Herald. We will keep a watchful eye, however. I'm sure Leliana already has a report on her that may be informative."

"You're probably right about that," Ellana chuckled. "How are you holding up, Cass? This can't be easy for you. First the Chantry, now the Seekers and the Templars?"

Cassandra was honestly shocked that Ellana even cared to think about that. "Yes, it is ... difficult to say the least. I will feel better when we have more answers."

"And, perhaps, after a quick sparring session?" Ellana raised her eyebrows. 

Cassandra gave her a wicked grin, "You read my mind." 

"But first, let's go find this new friend of ours from the message on the arrow. It could be a trap, but that would be a mistake on their part now wouldn't it?" 

Cassandra laughed, "Most assuredly." 

"Ready when you are, boss", they heard Varric shout from behind them. They looked back and saw that Solas and Varric returned carrying some goods from the market. 

"Where in the world have you been?" she asked Varric with a questioning tone.

"Hey Seeker, I've seen that look on your face before. I wanted to be out of the way when you decided to start hitting someone."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They returned to camp, after they had sent Sera to check-in with the advisers at Haven, and Ellana hadn't forgotten her promise to Cassandra. 

"You'll have to go easy on me, I'm not exactly trained. Cullen has been trying to help me, but for the love of the Maker I am a slow learner."

As they sparred, Cassandra could tell she had been working with Cullen. She had definitely been training a Templar technique, and Cassandra saw many flaws. She pointed the most important ones out, and allowed Ellana time to adjust. 

Ellana ended up on her back one too many times, "Alright, I think it's safe to say you win, Cass!" she said while trying to regain control of her breathing. "I still have much to learn, I would be very grateful if I could learn from you as well as Cullen."

"Of course Shiny, if there's anything you know Cassandra will agree to it's hitting more things, and a moving target will be more fun."

"Ugh," Cassandra grunted in disgust. "Be careful dwarf, you're slow, but still an adequate moving target." 

Ellana hid a small chuckle, "Now that we've eaten, would you all like to return to Haven now? We could make it by nightfall at a decent pace." They readily agreed. Ellana mounted her Hart. "Enasalin...." she whispered, "Ma ghilanas, vhenas."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They arrived back in Haven just past nightfall. They arrived at the tavern just in time for dinner. Sera was already there, causing a small ruckus in the far corner. Ellana laughed to herself at the sight, but was too tired to join in. She choose a secluded seat in the back corner of the tavern. She felt his magic approach before she saw him, and her back stiffened. He had been quiet for the past few days. She had appreciated the distance at the time, but it had done nothing to mend their.... awkwardness. "May I join you?" he asked her softly. She gestured towards the open seat, and he sat slowly. "Ma falon... I have noticed that you..... I'm sorry if I have done something to offend you.... you've been quite distant since we awoke from our nightmares that evening. I hope that I did not say the wrong thing, I only meant to be a comfort to you." He spoke with such a sincere tone, that she stared into his eyes as he did so. The cool blue-grey seemed soft and caring. 

"Atish'an, Solas. Forgive me, I have been tired from our travels. Would you like something to eat?" 

"Ma Serannas."

They spoke slowly throughout dinner, still with slight reservations. Until Solas asked about Enasalin. If there was one way into Ellana's heart, it was her beautiful Hart. Enasalin had been there with her through her travels and trials, and Ellana considered her family. She spoke of the Hart's gentle spirit, and she revealed some of their travels together. Ellana knew that humans viewed their horses differently. They were a means to an end, with the benefit of companionship. For elves, it was the other way around. Animals were valued and respected for their spirits and what they were, especially for their contributions to the people. She could tell that Solas understood this as she spoke of Enasalin. He nodded and laughed at her stories, and asked more questions about the animal than was completely necessary. "Perhaps she would like a late night snack?" he asked as he pulled an apple from his bag. 

She gave him a big smile, "I think she would love that.

They walked down to the stables. The gates were closed and locked after dark, and there was no one past them, until the recruits returned from the tavern or fires by the Chantry to go to their tents for the night. As they approached the stables, the sensed something foul in the air. They walked slowly and quietly, and she moved a bit closer to Solas. Then all of a sudden, the stable gates cracked open and a group of bandits on horseback bolted out - with all of the inquisition horses in tow. Ellana saw Enasalin's large horns in the center of the herd. "NO!" she shouted as she ran after them. With all the horses gone there was no way she could catch up to them. She felt a massive wave of energy fly past her, and watched as the bandits flew from their mounts. She fired a winter's grasp spell at them, but it wasn't powerful enough. They would only be stuck there for a few seconds before recovering. She tried thinking of anything that would help her, when she felt something fly past her. Her hair rushed in front of her face, but she could still see Solas appear behind the bandits. She had never seen him fade step like that, and she felt overwhelmed by the enormous amount of mana she could feel emanating from him. Clearly the bandits felt it to, and they attempted to make a run for it. They jumped on a few of the animals remaining and attempted to flee. Ellana summoned a lightning bolt that stunned the lead rider. The bandit behind him turned and shot an arrow at her, and she felt a barrier surround her. She closed her eyes tight, expecting an impact. Upon feeling nothing, she quickly opened her eyes to find where the arrow had landed. And then she saw it... sticking out of Enasalin's chest. The animal cried out in pain and tumbled to the ground. "Enasalin!!" Ellana screamed. She ran to the animal, and bent down to stroke it's face and whisper into it's ear. She felt an incredible surge of energy, but didn't look up. Solas knelt down beside her. The Hart's cries were growing dimmer and it was struggling less as it lost it's energy. "Ma helani!" she cried, "no, no, no, please Enasalin." Solas held his hands over the animal and Ellana saw a bright green glow reach out from his hands and encompass the wounded area. 

"Shh... atish'an, Da'len" he whispered to the Hart. She watched his face then, and found that his expression was just as sincere as his words. He tenderly cared after the bleeding animal in front of him with focus. His gentleness made him seem so soft in the moonlinght. He carefully and expertly removed the arrow after a short time, and began pouring more healing mana into the creature. "Tel melana sahlin", he whispered. Ellana gave a soft cry and shuddered. The beat suddenly rose and gave a very unhappy grunt. Solas performed one more spell on the area. "Ir abelas, Falon. Mala eth", he said gently as he patted the creature's neck. 

Ellana cried softly and took Solas' hand. "Ma Sarannas, Hahren. Ma melava helani."

"Of course I helped you Da'len, and this poor innocent creature. I am glad she is alright."

She looked at him, searching his face for something. She suddenly jumped up and hugged him tightly. At first, he was shocked by the sudden gesture, holding his arms out to the side. "Ma sarannas", she whispered into his ear. He slowly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He couldn't remember the last time he had been... hugged. Well over a thousand years. The sensation was... unnerving. A simple hug was just that ... simple. It should do nothing. But he felt something deep in his gut... something like relief perhaps? Like a hidden hurt was being healed. He returned the hug in earnest after a moment, and didn't truly want to let go. "Let's return her and the others to the stables. We can send someone to clean up the mess."

She looked at him quizzically, "What mess?" She had forgotten of the bandits in her distress. A look of realization spread across her face and she ripped away from him and whipped around searching. He suddenly felt empty and cold. She saw their unconscious forms lying in the grass. "Oh." She chuckled. "I take it they won't wake soon?" 

"No, I cast a sleeping spell on them to ensure that." 

"Ah," she said. She saw a hint of a blush creep across her cheeks as she looked down. She took Enasalin's reins and led her to the stables, while Solas gathered the other horses. She seemed reluctant to leave her precious Hart alone in the stables.

"We can stay if you prefer, and keep watch... make sure no others come looking?"

She sighed in relief, "Yes, I think I will. Please, don't feel as if you need to stay. I'm sure you're longing for your bed after her travels. 

"I would not leave you alone without backup, Ellana. Besides, I don't mind sleeping outside. I prefer it. I will go inform Cullen of this evenings events however, so you can stay with her", he nodded towards the hart. She smiled back at him. He hadn't seen her smile at him genuinely in a while, and he felt relieved. And he knew that it wasn't just to ensure his goal, a small part of him wanted her to like him. He pushed away the thought and walked toward's the Commander's tent. 

When he returned to the stables, he watched Ellana as she fed Enasalin the apple from earlier that evening. She was speaking to the beast in hushed whispers in a care-free tone. The moonlight shone on her hair, and the slight breeze made it flutter around her face ever so gently. She looked over at him. "Why are you smiling, Solas?". Had he been smiling just now? 

"You look peaceful, Falon. And the evening is beautiful," he said as he approached her slowly. 

"It would not be so, if you hadn't of saved her and dealt with the bandits. I fear I was of little use in my state of panic", she remarked sadly. 

"You care deeply, Falon. That is nothing to be ashamed of." He realized he was calling her friend. Why was he doing that? She was not his friend. All of his friends were dead. She wasn't even real. Why did his heart feel as if she were?

She gazed up at him, and he saw the starlight reflected in her wide eyes as she leaned back from the hart slightly. He took a step to stand more closely behind her. She glanced down at the wolf jaw-bone hanging from his neck, and leaned away slightly, her eyes downcast. "Why do you wear that, Solas?"

He looked down at it, and his face slowly hardened as he took a step away from her. "As a reminder", he said softly. "Excuse me, I must retrieve some of my belongings for the evening. Do you need anything?" She shook her head no and faced her hart. Her comment of the jawbone was perfectly timed. Right as he started to lose his bearings, his focus on the mission, she brought his attention to the thing that kept him grounded. The object that was there to remind him of his purpose. To remind him that none of these people could ever understand what the world had lost. What he had lost. "Ma sarannas", he whispered to the jawbone as he marched to camp to retrieve a book for the long night ahead. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enasalin - Victory (Hart's name)  
Ma ghilanas, vhenas - guide me home  
Falon - friend  
Atish'an - Peace  
Ma Serannas - my thanks  
Ma helani - help me  
Tel melana sahlin - your time has not come  
Ir abelas - I'm sorry  
Mala eth - you're safe  
Ma melava helani - you helped me


	6. Somniar

Ellana felt as if things began moving very quickly after that night. Security became a top priority, and they realized that they were now under the scrutiny of all of Thedas. Nobles, the Empire of Orlais, all of Ferledan, and any other poor sod looking to gain profits from the newly formed Inquisition. Hopefully after the last bandits failed so miserably, it sent a message that the group wasn't to be trifled with. She knew her team wasn't complete, and she ventured out to the Storm Coast to acquire The Iron Bull and his Chargers, and to a peaceful little lake tucked back into a mountain side to find Blackwall. She found these smaller trips peaceful. They were riding back to Haven with the newly recruited Blackwall in tow. She allowed her mind to wander peacefully, watching the scenery pass her by as Enasalin followed the rest of the group. Cassandra slowed allowing her to catch up.

"What would you have us do? Move forward with the help of the rebel mages, or the Templars?" Cassandra asked quietly to avoid any interested ears. 

Ellana looked down thoughtfully, "I'm not sure. I believe that both groups have been corrupted. They are both worthy of redemption. It's unfortunate that they won't see reason enough to work together within the Inquisition to close the damned hole in the sky. They have forgotten themselves. What would you have us do?"

Cassandra looked straight forward, "I also feel conflicted. Previously I would have said join with the Templars without hesitation. But I would have to agree that these groups have been corrupted; by what I do not know."

The Seeker and the mage talked about it earnestly and honestly for an hour. They discussed possible outcomes and the pros and cons of each group. "Honestly Cass, I think it will work either way. Either group will help us get this done. But it seems to me like the Inquisition might benefit most from deciding on the mages."

"Really?" Cassandra thought over their discussion, and hadn't connected the dots that way. It seemed impossible to know which group would be more beneficial. "Do you think that.... perhaps you have a slight bias in the direction?"

"Of course," Ellana responded instantly, "but I assure you, I am aware of that bias and am constantly guarding against it for the good of our cause. But I still feel that we will benefit more from that decision."

Cassandra appreciated Ellana's honesty and thoughtfulness regarding her own bias and possible weaknesses. She nodded in agreement. "Let's camp up ahead, and send a raven to Haven. We can make our position known to Leliana, Josephine and Cullen. If they end up miraculously agreeing, we could go to Redcliffe from here."   
  
Ellana was surprised that Cassandra had decided to trust her opinion so quickly, and smiled at her. "That sounds like a plan." 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Josephine looked at Cullen and then Leliana, back and forth while they shot comment after comment at each other arguing their positions. Honestly, she agreed with Ellana's assessment. If they played this right, either group would allow them to achieve their goal. She internally rolled her eyes at the heated argument taking place in the war room, but as always kept straight face. 

"The mages are dangerous and desperate! You of all people should understand how I..." he stopped short.

Leliana responded without missing a beat, "And yet they still seem a better option that the corrupt Templars at the moment. There is no harm in approaching the mages now."

Cullen's fist slammed into the table as he was about to yell another rebuttal when Josephine stepped up to the table. "You are both right. Seeing as that is the case I believe it is in our best interest to follow the Herald's lead. She has been out in the field encountering these groups, and she has had valid opinions and reactions thus far."

Cullen pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He rose a dismissive hand as he walked towards the door. "Fine," he said with quiet anger as he left the room. 

"I will send a raven back to Ellana. Pray to the Maker that this works out in our favor, or I'll never hear the end of it I fear", Leliana sighed in an exasperated tone. 

Josephine stepped out of the war room to retreat to her office when she saw a few disgruntled people waiting at her door. "You could make a run for it, Josie", Leliana teased behind her, waiting for Josephine to exit the doorway. 

Josephine giggled, and then sighed as she straightened her back and pushed her shoulders back. She walked confidently to her office, "How can I help you gentlemen?" she said with her usual charm. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ellana hadn't foreseen this. The future had been uncertain. Either she would have sided with the mages or the Templars, and the details about that were fuzzy in her mind. She knew the outcome of the alliances, but not what led to that outcome. While she wasn't completely shocked that the mages were essentially enslaved to Tevinter, she was shocked by the time rifts. This could seriously mess with her mojo, and she felt extremely uneasy. Meeting Dorian eased her tension however. Gaining an ally that knew much about their enemy's magic and plans would be greatly beneficial. 

They made camp just outside of Redcliffe that evening, and Ellana hoped that her dreams would give her more information and confidence than she currently felt. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ellana woke from her nightmare. Sweet Maker, what had she gotten herself into. Tears streamed down her face. She covered her face with her hands as she stepped outside for some fresh air. She could tell it was the early hours of the morning before the sun rose. 

"Lethallan?" Solas asked softly as he approached her. "I awoke from your mana, and knew you were distressed. Is everything alright?" When she didn't respond, he gently touched her arm. She turned to him, and upon seeing him began softly crying. She walked into him, burying her face in his tunic. Again, he was shocked into stillness for a short time before embracing her. "Shh... Atish'an da'len. Mala taren somniar. Tel numin" he said as he brushed her hair gently. 

Her cries stopped and she squeezed him close to her. "Ma serannas. I'm sorry for waking you", she whispered into his tunic. 

"Do you wish to speak of your nightmare?" he asked softly. She shook her head, face still pressed to him. She was so small, he wrapped her arms around her and was able to reach himself. He rested his chin on the top of her head. "Would you like to try and sleep some more until dawn?" he asked.

"No. I'm sorry I woke you, Solas. You were a comfort in my sorrow. Please, don't stay up on my account", she said as she began to let go of him. He hugged her tightly. 

"I can stay if it is a comfort for you."

She stood quite still for a moment, and as her mind returned to the images of the Redcliffe from her dream she nodded. They sat on a nearby log, and he sparked a fire with his magic. She sighed as she relaxed against his chest. She heard a deep rumbling in his chest, as he began to hum an ancient lullaby ever so softly into her hair. His voice was low and velvety, and she closed her eyes to listen. She recognized the tune. Her keeper had sang it to her as a child, but the way Solas hummed the melody was different. There were slightly different inflections and rhythms and slightly different notes in some spots. It was even more beautiful. She began mindlessly tracing small circles on his arm, and he looked down at it as he continued to hum. She felt him begin tracing circles on her back and slowly started to become tired once again. He felt her slouch more into him. "Sleep, lethallan. I'll wake you soon." She slipped into unconsciousness as she listened to him begin to hum a different melody. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He watched her drift to sleep against him. He had not allowed anyone this close to him in so long, not that anyone had wanted to be. He felt an urge and without thinking he lowered his face and kissed the top of her hair. His heart sighed, and he tried putting up a mental barrier, but he was too tired and if he was being honest, didn't truly want to block out this feeling. It was warmth and light and happiness. He felt protective of her, and he now realized it wasn't just because she held the key to his salvation in her tiny hand. He looked up at the moon, and heard a wolf howl in the distance. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Atish'an da'len. Mala taren somniar. Tel numin. - Peace child, your mind dreams. Don't cry.


	7. Malana

She felt Solas gently brush her hair from her face as he leaned his face down to her ear, "Lethallan, it is time to wake." She slowly opened her eyes to see a beautiful sunrise, coating the valley below in a soft glow. She felt his arm around her holding her tightly to him so she wouldn't fall from the log they had sat on. His other hand covered her hand that she had somehow placed on his leg during her sleep, his thumb mindlessly tracing circles on her wrist. 

"Ma Falon, ir abelas. How long have I slept?"

"Do not apologize for resting, I am pleased you are more at peace. And not long, 3 hours at most." 

She thought about how sore his joints must be at his point and blushed. "Thank you, Solas" she said as she looked up at him. He smiled gently at her, and she rose from their spot. "I'll make some breakfast for everyone since we're the first ones up." She picked up a satchel to pick herbs and berries or fruit from the forest and Solas sprung up and walked beside her down the path. She smiled her thanks and began picking some berries from a bush near the path, while Solas began picking just the right herbs. 

When they headed back to camp she began slicing the fruit she had found, tossing it into a pot over the fire. Solas expertly cut the herbs, much quicker than she could have, and threw them in as well. She ground the berries and added a bit of water before throwing those in as well. She watched it turn into a jammy texture over the other contents of the pot and stirred it absently. There was still a bit of cooked crispy meat left over from the night before, and she added that to the side to heat it up. They heard Varric emerge from his tent, stretching and yawning. "I love it when you two cook, but I especially love it when I can smell some meat on the fire", he said looking hungrily at the pot.

"Me too!" They heard Cassandra yell from her tent as she shuffled around to put her armor on. The four of them ate happily in silence watching the sun rise further over the mountains. Ellana tried to enjoy this moment and soak up as much as she could, for she knew that soon she would be faced with many trials that she scarcely believed she could bare. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"ARE YOU MAD?" Cullen roared at the war table. I only barely agreed to this in the first place, and now you're telling me that this whole blasted plan depends on us sneaking and tricking our way in?" This was not the way that Cullen liked to solve problems. He liked to solve problems by fighting his way through with skill, determination, hard work, and good planning. He definitely did not enjoy subterfuge, sneaking an army through a tunnel, and depending upon desperate and disloyal mages. "Too much depends upon this working out, it could mean the end for the Inquisition, and subsequently the world! We can NOT trust the mages! This is insanity!" 

"Cullen, do not believe for a second that I have forgotten what rests on our shoulders, or that I haven't spent countless sleepless nights grappling with the decision and the planning. This is the best way, and I believe in my team's ability, and the troops that you yourself have been training. Have they not proven themselves worthy of that trust?" 

Cullen sighed heavily, "It is not our abilities that I do not trust. There is a great reason to fear the unknown Herald. The unknown is what kills you the quickest. These mages are unstable and unreliable, not to mention the unreliability and lack of knowledge we have on these Tevinters. If something happens, even a small thing, that we aren't expecting it could be the end of us.. it could mean defeat and then certain death." 

He watched her look down as she spoke softly, "I know Cullen, I know". She ran her hand through her hair and looked at him confidently, "That is why we must be sure of our plan and follow it exactly. That is why we must be completely prepared. I know you were a Templar Cullen, and I'm sure you have seen things that would make my skin crawl. But most of these mages were just pushed into a corner and need a way out. Most of these mages are good people who need help, and can offer us help in return."

He stared hard at each of them around the room. "I will never agree with his decision.You must all realize that right now. But I will not stand further in the way of our progress. If you all agree that this is our course of action, I will prepare my troops to the best of my ability to ensure our safety."

Each woman looked at him sadly, and he knew they were all together on this. "Thank you, Cullen" Ellana said sadly, "For what its worth, I truly am sorry for the pain this is causing you. I value your input and recognize it's value. I will keep in mind throughout the entire process."

"That's all I can ask" he said in a tired voice. "Can we reconvene in an hour? I need some air." Before anyone said a word, Cullen left the room and practically bolted outside. He retreated to his tent, where he collapsed to the ground. The headache was unbearable. As he knelt there, he pressed his shaking hands against his skull in agony. The stress of their decision had affected him greatly. He was concerned, and if he were honest with himself, terrified. He felt himself fall over completely and the world went dark.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

"Cullen? Are you in there?" Cassandra said loudly.

Andraste's ..... Maker's breath he had passed out. How foolish. What kind of Commander of an army passes out in their tent. He felt shame and a bit of fear at the suddenness of his symptoms. "Yes, what is it Cassandra?" he said hoarsely. 

"It has been over an hour, are you ready to reconvene in the war room?" 

"Yes, sorry I got caught up in work, I'll be right there." He didn't want her to see him like this.... not yet. He could fight this. He stood up shakily and caught his reflection in a small mirror. He was ghostly pale and sweaty. He sat on the bed and took a few deep breaths, trying to meditate as he had learned in the Chantry. He checked his reflection 5 minutes later and he had improved a bit. He wiped his face with a cool damp cloth, and dried his hands and face. He straightened up his uniform, hair, and back, and exited the tent.

As he approached the Chantry, Ellana ran up beside him. "Cullen, I really am sorry." 

He sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose, and then looked at her. "Don't be sorry, Herald. You are making a decision. One that I happen to disagree with, but we don't have to agree on everything in order to be a good team. Many voices must be represented, and besides, the rest of ours seem to agree with you."

"We don't have to agree on everything you're right, but I feel that this is a pretty big one for you personally, and I hate that. I hate making you uncomfortable and putting you in a position where you have to compromise what you believe in most. I'll do my best to make it up to you, and ensure that this goes our way." 

He gave her a small smile, "As will I."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ellana opened her eyes to find herself in a flooded dungeon. It smelled like rot and mold and something else she had never smelled before. She looked around frantically and saw Dorian just a few meters from her. "Dorian" she shook him hard. 

"Fasta Vass!" he half shouted and half choked out. He looked around the room, eyes wide. "Festis bei umo canavarum" he whispered under his breath. She raised any eyebrow at him.

"Are you alright?"

"Darling, nothing about this is alright. But at least I'm not here alone." He stuck out a hand to help her up. They began searching for the way out, when they came upon a room that horrified them. Solas looked at them through red eyes, with shards sticking out from his skin. He was chained to the wall, lacerations on his body, blood spilling from the side of his mouth. He looked at them with wide eyes as they explained how they had gotten there. Of course, he understood right away. Ellana wasn't very surprised by that. They unchained him and helped him to the next cell. 

Cassandra sat on the floor of her cage, reciting the chant. She looked at them in shock. "It can't be..." they explained everything once again. "I'm not sure I understand this, but I'm ready to be free from this cell." She had a large red shard coming out of her chest and side, her eyes were red, and she breathed heavily and harshly. Her voice, like Solas', sounded strange and possessed. They freed her and found Varric in the same condition. 

Varric looked like he was dead, and Ellana gasped. At hearing the sound, he looked up at them. She then heard his ragged, wheezing and saw the blood pouring from a large wound in his chest, small red shards everywhere she could see. His red eyes looked pained, "Well, shit." Ellana could remembered how he had hated red lyrium, and the story he had told her of finding it all those years ago. 

"Varric... I'm so sorry this is happening," she cried, "I'm going to make it right. We're going to fix this, as if it never happened." She explained how they had traveled a year into the future when the Tevinter had tried to kill them with a time rift. 

"We can go back to our own time, and prevent this all from happening" Dorian added softly.

Varric's red glowing eyes brightened, "I'm in." 

The continued down the path until they saw Cullen in a torture chamber. His wrists were chained to the ceiling, and his feet dragged the ground. There were lacerations all over his body, and wounds larger than should be possible for someone who lives. Half of his body was completely made up of jagged, sharp red crystals. He opened his eyes slowly and looked up at them. They were completely red. No iris, no white, no color. They glowed with intensity. "Who are you?" he asked in a voice they could barely hear, a voice that rattled and sounded possessed. 

"Cullen.... it's us" Ellana cried. "It's me, Ellana. Cassandra's here, and Varric and Solas, and Dorian too. We're here to fix this.... we..." she sobbed quietly. This was a whole other level. Perhaps because he was already susceptible to lyrium, or pehaps because of how he had clearly been tested on and tortured. 

"Leave me," he cried, "I know you not."

"Ellana, we have to leave him. When we return to our time we can prevent this from happening to him. He's in no condition to fight", Dorian said softly. 

Cassandra walked up to Cullen, tears streaming down her face. "Let me release you from your chains, my friend." She helped him down, and he collapsed to the ground. "Go to the Maker's side my friend. You have been his faithful servant your entire life. He will welcome you." She tore herself away and left the room quickly. 

Ellana felt as if she was glued to the floor. "Dorian's right, da'len. Lets go" Solas whispered. 

As she turned to leave, Cullen whispered, "Wait..... please.... don't leave me like this... just kill me... please..." She sobbed as she ran from the room.

Solas knelt down behind the now very small and deformed man. "Sleep, my friend." He lulled Cullen to sleep with a gesture of his hand, and stopped his heart with the other. He left the silent room and caught up with the others. 

He caught up with the group, "Ellana, Dorian... we are all dead already. This red lyrium... there is nothing that can be done. But we will see to it that you return safely." 

They had all stopped and were staring into another room. He peered through the doorway. Leliana was chained as Cullen had been, but with only a quarter of the red lyrium shards, and she was strangling a man with her legs. Her face was stretched and aged, and her anger radiated around her in red shades. As Ellana and Dorian began to explain, she cut them off. "I don't care, Ellana. I'm going to kill these bastards, and I honestly don't care what you do." She walked out of the room, and Ellana felt another tear roll down her cheeks.

She would give anything to erase their pain, to take it away. "We can do this, darling. We can help them", Dorian said with a quiet confidence. 

They entered a large room, and there he was. The bastard that had started all of this. It was over almost before it began, as Leliana sent an arrow through his eye. Dorian took the amulet from his body and began working on it straight away. They heard a horde of enemies approaching. "Dorian!" She shouted.

"Go through the rift, and fix this." Leliana said angrily.

"We'll take out as many as we can," Solas said softly looking at Ellana.

"No... please you can't.." Ellana pleaded.

"Look at us Ellana, the only way we live is if this day never comes. Go!"

Ellana stood by Dorian as he cast spells around the amulet. It began to glow and shake.

She watched the door that Solas, Cassandra and Varric had left out of. She heard noises and the loud screeches of demons, and suddenly two loud thumps against the door. It burst open and she saw the bodies of her friends fly through it and crumple to the ground. 

Leliana's arrows rained fire upon the demons as she spoke to the Maker. She fought without fear, until she was caught in the embrace of a demon. Ellana watched in horror as Leliana's throat was slit and she crumpled to the ground. Dorian pulled on Ellana hard, and suddenly they were back. 

She breathed hard and felt dizzy. And there was Alexius standing before them. She shook in shock, her friends had just died. Their bodies thrown like discarded trash. The shaking from shock turned to anger, "Aghhh!" she yelled out as she summoned a lightening bolt down on Alexius' head. The man dropped to the ground, barely conscious. 

She turned around to see Solas, Varric, and Cassandra looking at her full of confusion. She dropped to her knees and sobbed, as Dorian held her, silent tears streaming down his face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fasta Vass - Tevinter Curse  
Festis bei umo canavarum - you'll be the death of me


	8. Fen

Ellana's dreams haunted her. She thrashed awake and sobbed herself back to sleep, where she would enter the fade. But in her current state, the fade quickly warped around her to bend and shape to her grief. She saw a vision of Leliana, her face stretched and her eyes empty. Her throat had been slit and she stood there with wide eyes. She saw Cullen, poor Cullen who had spent his last free year fighting a disease, only to be forced back into it. And not just forced back into it, but the result of that was to aid a madman bent on ruining the world. Ellana saw his crumpled and mangled body, full of swollen places his bones had been broken too many times and wounds on top of scars that would never heal. The all consuming lyrium covering half of his torso and face, his haunted face with strained voice, his mind gone. "Why did you kill me? Why did you do this to me, Ellana?" 

"No! Cullen, I'm sorry!" She saw a lyrium-infested Solas bend over near him and send Cullen into sleep. Ellana collapsed to the ground, and held her head in her hands as she rocked back and forth. All of a sudden, she felt no more malice in the air. The once red-tainted green aura of the fade turned to a sunlit day. She peeked out from behind her fingers and saw that the fade around her was more beautiful than she had ever thought possible. 

"Ellana...", a soft voice said from behind her.

She gasped, jumping up to turn around and discover who had snuck into her dreams without a warning. "Solas..."

"I was worried about you. It is dangerous to dream in the fade in your state" he said quietly. 

"Not many people are able to enter into my dreams with me so easily without my being aware of them. I am usually in more control here", she said, wiping the tears from her cheeks. 

"I hope you don't mind. I truly was concerned for you. And I can usually say the same thing when I am in the fade, I hope I haven't startled you. There were demons getting close to you." Ellana looked around, scared now. She realized it was true, and remembered sensing their presence, but not caring enough in her frightened and grieving state to do much about it. "Don't worry Ellana, I have fortified barriers around you. Nothing can harm you now." 

"If Cullen or the others find out about this... ugh, they'll watch me closely from now on. They won't trust me, a mage, for very much longer."

"Then they won't find out Da'len. You've suffered much the past few months. Everyone is entitled a time to grieve. I'll protect you until you're feeling yourself again" he said with a timid smile, "if that is o.k. with you."

She nodded, and looked away slightly embarrassed, but grateful. She looked at the peaceful meadow she was in, taking in the beauty of their new surroundings. There was a stream flowing down into a small reflective pond. They were in a small field with tall grass and yellow, purple, and red flowers. There was a great tree in the center of the field, with great branches stretching out giving big patches of shade. The sky was blue with big white puffy clouds that were moving slowly with the wind. "It's beautiful here", she said just above a whisper. She looked out into the distance, and saw mountains far out on the horizon. "You have an incredible ability here Solas. I've never seen anyone create so completely. Those mountains look worlds away."

"Thank you, Da'len. Yes, I find it quite peaceful here. I've come here often after experiencing hardships in my life", he looked at the small pond thoughtfully. 

"I'm sure you have learned how to do much here, much more than what most people think is possible", she smiled at him.

"That's kind of you to say. After many years of study, I hope that is true" he smiled genuinely. 

She looked at him, searching his face for something. He started to blush slightly, but didn't look away. She knew this man. She knew him far more than anyone else did. She knew most of what must be his biggest secret. There were still holes of course, small missing pieces. But she had enough of the pieces to put things together. She wanted to trust him. She wanted him to trust her. She wanted to help make the world a better place, and Corypheus or no, this man was vital in ensuring that she was successful. Either by his help, or by her helping him. Perhaps it was why she was given her gifts at all, perhaps all of this was the purpose... her purpose. Either way, it required a leap of faith. She took a small breath, prayed that she wouldn't regret it, and looked at him with a playful smile. 

She changed the scene around her. They were standing on a steep cliff-side looking out over the sea. The skies were grey and the winds flew along the tall grass so that it almost appeared like waves around their feet. He rose an eyebrow at her quizzically. She laughed, and she heard it echo into the empty air across the vastness below them. It rang, and was happy and genuine. He smiled at this, and she began to run along the side of the cliff. He watched her for a moment, and she looked free. She almost danced, and she turned back to look at him, a daring challenge upon her face. He changed the scene and she was suddenly running along the beach, she looked up and found him still on the cliff far, far above. She continued running, splashing at the waves and giggling like a child. Suddenly he was running beside her and she splashed him. He lifted a hand, and suddenly there was a ball of water directly in front of her and she ran right through it. She stopped short, completely shocked and slowly turned to look at him. He laughed behind his hand, and she realized she had never seen him laugh before, not truly, not genuinely. She laughed freely, and changed the scene once again. They were in a forest, and she began running again. She jumped over fallen logs, ducked under branches, and swung around trees. He joined her and overtook her. She knew just what to do to surprise him next.

Solas felt something change in the air, something familiar, and looked over to find a white wolf running beside him. He stopped in shock and awe. She looked back on him, and he could feel her playfulness, could feel her joy. She turned to face him and lowered the front of her body playfully, tail wagging. _'Come on!'_ he heard her say in his head as she began running again. _'I dare you to catch me!'_

She felt him gaining ground behind her, and she ran harder. Leaping over debris gracefully, zigzagging between trees, smelling the fallen leaves and the moss under her paws. Right as they reached a glen, he caught her. He pounced gracefully as if he had a thousand times before, and she rolled. They both lowered the front ends of their bodies, elbows and paws on the ground in a playful stance. She jumped a top of him, biting his ear as they rolled once again. He landed on top of her and she gave a small bark. He rolled off of her and laid on his side near her. She suddenly changed and looked like the same Ellana as always. As she changed, she rolled into him, hugging him around the neck tightly, burying her face into the thick black fur of his neck. She felt him change within her grasp, and he held her tightly. She looked up at him, smiling brightly. "Not bad!" she laughed. "I knew you could too. I just knew it."

"You did? I must confess, I was completely shocked to see you shape shift... and into a wolf as well. How did you know I was a shape-shifter? It is truly a rare and remarkable gift. I haven't seen it in many, many years."

She shrugged, "I could just.... feel it. You feel... familiar", she said thoughtfully. 

He stared at her in awe and wonder.

"Thank you, Solas. Truly." She kissed his cheek, and he blushed. She blushed in turn, and quickly shifted into her wolf-self and began running again. He quickly followed. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Solas howled in happiness, and she did the same. They ran together as the day turned to night, feeling the wind through their fur and hearing the crunching of the leaves beneath their paws. He felt happier and freer than he had in a long time. Even if it was only for a while, the weight lifted from him allowed him to run more quickly, and he could tell that she could feel his joy. As they ran, he felt his mana naturally reach out to hers, and hers seemed to naturally reach out to his. Their manas and auras mingled and joined all night as they ran in this form. He could not recall his mana ever reaching for someone before, or anyone else's reaching for him. It was new and curious. After all this time, he never thought he would find something new and curious in this world. He watched her run and felt a feeling deep within his heart like an aching. 

Suddenly, Ellana stopped. She abruptly returned to her true form. "Oh no... not right now", she said desperately. 

Solas quickly transformed. "Ellana?" he started to question, and suddenly they were thrown from their current setting into a new one. But something felt wrong? The aura here was all wrong. It almost didn't even feel like the fade any longer. Solas had never felt anything like it, and he realized for the first time in a long time he felt afraid. It had been so long since he had encountered something so completely new and strange, something he didn't know how to control. He realized he wasn't in control at all. This must not be the fade. No one alive could control the fade as he could. Something was truly wrong. He looked at Ellana, and she gave him a frightented look before turning to watch something unfold. He stared in the same direction, only to see a swirling vortex of energy with no clearly defined shape. And suddenly, a Dragon emerged from the vortex and was upon them. It screeched and roared and laid waste to the town around them. Solas stood in a defensive stance, ready to fight. And before he good even began to note any significant details about the dragon it was gone, and he saw a tremendous avalanche approach and overwhelm them. He saw it, but he could not feel it, wasn't crushed by it or swept away by it. 

And almost as quickly as it began, it stopped, and they were back to the woods as before. 

He looked at Ellana quickly. "What.... was... that?" he asked almost angrily, shaken and confused. 

"Solas, I..... it's difficult to explain... will you.... will you give me some time to sort it in my head so that I can explain this to you more clearly and accurately?"

He looked at her with distrust, but stood unmoving. Suddenly, she took a step towards him and held his hand in hers. He stared into her beautiful eyes and felt his own soften. He sighed, "alright." 

"Thank you," she said softly. And suddenly, she disappeared. She had woken up, returned to her reality. So many emotions flew around his heart. He changed back into a wolf. The moon shone brightly, and he howled fiercely. Slowly, the black wolf with red eyes changed ever so slightly, becoming larger and with more red eyes on the top of his head. He suddenly wasn't a wolf, but something much more, and he ran fast and hard through the night. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ellana woke suddenly. _I must be a fool, Dread Wolf take me, _she thought ironically. But deep in her heart, she felt butterflies and happiness upon recalling how they ran as a small pack. She felt more herself, there in the fade with him, than she had felt in a long time. She had shown him her true form in a leap of faith, but never suspected him to trust her in return so willingly. Or to feel their auras and manas naturally reach for each other as they ran through the forest. _Stupid girl._

She exited her cabin, and noticed foot prints that led to the side of her cabin. Solas had placed a ward on her cabin, and another by himself before falling asleep right here to come and rescue her from herself. She returned to the cabin and gathered a few blankets. She placed them over top of him. He had never done this around people before, and she felt touched that he had cared enough to leave himself even the slightest bit vulnerable. She watched him sleep for a moment. She looked at the scar on his brow, and the slight peppering of freckles across his cheeks and nose. She lightly cupped his face. _Oh boy,_ she thought as she retracted her hand, _girl you have got it bad. _He had seen her secret now, and she was going to need to either tell him the truth, part of the truth, or lie. She had a feeling he would sniff out a lie quickly. 

She shook her head and walked to the Chantry. Today was the day. They were going to seal the breach. Or mostly seal it? The details were slightly fuzzy in her mind. But something was going to go wrong, that much was certain. Dragons, avalanches, an army, and a crazy fool intent on ruining the world. What could go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge shout out to JLHall, whose work 'Well Hell... Why Not?' has the main characters manas reaching for each other naturally. I loved the idea so much that's now in pretty much every story I write in my head. 
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/12481704/chapters/28411616


	9. Of Sacrifice and Hope

As they approached the breach, Solas watched Ellana carefully. He watched the way she moved, the way she spoke, and the way she watched others. He was missing a very large piece of information, didn't know a very important detail about this person he had begun to feel close to, a feeling he wasn't accustomed to. He would help her now in closing the breach, but after this point he was uncertain of his course of action. Should he steal her away and attempt to sever her link to the mark, attempt to take it from her by force? And what of Corypheus? Would he become more of a problem, would he get in the way? He was uncertain that he could even progress with his plan at this point. He would need to make adjustments, and he would need time to study and prepare. At least for now he was safe under the guise of the Inquisition. 

As Ellana attempted to close the breach, Solas focused the energy of every single mage around them and poured it into her. He doubted anyone there even realized that he was doing it, but without him they would certainly fail. And just like that, it was closed. The crater echoed with cheers and laugher, and Ellana looked relieved. The journey back to Haven was a joyous one, but he could sense uncertainty from her. When she thought no one was looking, the facade of her smile quickly dissipated. But he would always be watching her now. He needed to gather more information, he needed to be in control of the situation and quickly. 

The shems danced around fires, got drunk, and sang songs around the fires at Haven. He watched her looking out into the mountains, as if she were searching for something. He looked out as well, and then he saw it. Hundreds of the tiniest moving lights. Maybe thousands. An army.

He heard Cullen shouting orders and panic rise throughout the camp. He rushed to their sides to listen to Cullen's assessments. 

"We need to go cover the trebuchets. Solas, Varric, Cassandra, will you help me?"

"You got it, Shiny", Varric said quickly, grabbing his crossbow. Solas merely nodded and followed her out. 

Before long, they were completely surrounded at the first trebuchet, and Solas placed protective barriers around everyone, while firing off shots at the enemy. He snarled with rage as he saw that it was the Templars. _'Of course it is the Templars, foolish humans' _he thought bitterly as he happily torched all who approached. He fought with a fury that he had previously repressed to avoid suspicion. He was stronger than he had been when he first joined them, and holding back was becoming increasingly difficult. 

"Ellana! Do you hear that?" Varric shouted, "It sounds like people are trapped. We need to help!" 

"Let's go! Lead the way Varric, we need to save everyone in the village!" 

Varric gave her a thin smile and ran back into the gates. Once they had saved everyone, they heard Cullen calling them into the Chantry. They needed to regroup. Solas could tell that they were loosing this battle. Haven was not defensable, and there were too many trained men outside compared to the numerous civilians that had found refuge in the Chantry building. 

"But.... what about you? What of your escape?" Cullen said to Ellana softly, and she turned away to quietly look at her team. 

"Go with them", she said to them softly. "Go with Cullen. I'll aim the trebuchet and ensure you all leave safely. 

"Not a chance", Varric said loudly.

"No, you need our help Ellana", Cassandra said firmly.

Solas stepped forward, "We do this together."

Ellana nodded at them. 

"If we are to stand a chance, if you are, make that thing hear you!" Cullen shouted as he retreated after the group. 

"So let me get this straight, we play bait to distract the enemy while everyone escapes, and then bury the enemy along with ourselves in an avalanche we create? Damn Shiny. Well, shit. Here goes nothin!" Varric said with a small chuckle. 

They ran outside to the final trebuchet and began turning it around, but before they could finish they were once again surrounded by the enemy. Solas roared silently with fury and rained lightening and snow down upon them. Wave after wave of Templars surrounded them as they slowly but surely got the trebuchet turned towards the city. Out of no where, a dragon appeared over them. Just like the one from Ellana's dream. He searched it for details. _'It can't be... no.... it's not'_ he thought to himself, before hearing a strangled shout from Ellana.

And then he felt it, a rogue had snuck up right behind him. Ellana was dealing with her own group of enemies by the trebuchet, but stopped dealing with them to deal a deathly blow to the rogue behind Solas. He felt the rogue crumple to the ground underneath the weight of a stone fist she had conjured from the fade. After that, she did not have enough time to block or stun the enemy closest to her, and he struck her with a mighty blow. Solas threw a barrier around her too late. He froze the enemies around her and ran to her side, reviving her with a potion. "Thank you for saving me" he said softly as he crushed his fist and the enemies around them cracked and crumbled. Right then, he heard an arrow flying towards him and she pushed him out of the way just in time. He saw the arrow sticking through her arm. "Ir abelas, Da'len" he said as he healed her quickly. She looked up in horror as the dragon circled them. 

"Run!" she yelled to Cassandra and Varric, "We have to at least try to join the group in time! We're right behind you!" 

"Solas, cover them while I fire the trebuchet." He looked at her and shook his head no. "Solas, please. I need you to do this for me. The breach is sealed, but we both know that this war is far from over. They need you, Solas. Please!"

He looked at her with a deep feeling of dread. "I will cast barriers around you as long as I can. Pull that thing and run. Catch up, do you hear me! They need you as well."

He began to run out of the camp, when the dragon suddenly roared fire down around him. He pushed through the gates and cast a barrier around her one final time, before he saw the dragon land on top of her. He could feel Corypheus' aura surround her. He wouldn't be able to defeat the dragon, and Corypheus, and protect her at the same time. He could feel Corypheus try and steal the mark back, before giving up.

Solas began running after Cassandra and Varric again. As they ran through the tunnel and up the path, he felt her aura rage defiantly, and he had a sudden feeling of pride in his chest. She stood against Corypheus and his dragon and survived. Not only survived but did so with pride. And then he heard it, the trebuchet had hit it's mark and he felt the mountain crumbling around them. He reached out to feel her, to monitor her, but he couldn't find her anywhere. Was she dead? Solas turned around and looked for her. He knew that even if she lived they were too far away to be able to see her but he couldn't help himself. He couldn't feel her, couldn't see her. All that was there was was falling slow and rocks and a crushed city. They watched the dragon flee, and Solas dropped to his knees. He was surprised at how much he cared, trying to tell himself that it was his power and mark that he was devastated about. He needed that orb and the mark to save the people. But deep down, he knew it was her. Varric walked up behind him and put a hand on Solas' shoulder. "Maybe she found a way, Solas. Maybe she found cover.... maybe she'll catch up."

Solas had lived far too long to expect that. He knew better. There were no magical happy endings like in Varric's books. "Tel.. Durgen'len.." Solas muttered amongst a few other things, as he slowly rose. He turned and began walking towards the group. For the first time in a long time, he had no plan and didn't know where to go. The group traveled for a few hours before stopping to make camp. The refugees were cold and tired, and needed to rest. Solas wandered off by himself. Leaning on his staff, he looked out onto the vast mountains and felt a dark coldness settle into his heart. 

They had been settled for almost the entire evening, but no one in the inner circle slept. Solas noticed most of them looking back, and he knew they were holding out false hope in searching for her. Cullen and Cassandra just looked like they wanted to hit things. "Care to take a stroll?" Cullen asked Cassandra.

"Is that wise?" She asked.

"Probably not, but it feels better than doing nothing." Cullen replied. Cassandra nodded and they began to walk back the way they had came. Solas saw Cullen bark an order at a couple of his recruits, and they followed after. 

Solas shook his head, and returned to gazing out over the mountains. He could hardly blame them. He remembered a time that he would have responded the same way - with false hopes of things getting better, of things just working out, of loved ones not dying. And then he heard Cullen shout out near the top of the ravine. He turned quickly and looked up in shock. There she was. She fell to her knees, and slowly she slumped to the ground. He watched Cullen gingerly pick her up and carry her back down the mountain to the camp. Solas rushed to them and instantly began feeling for her injuries with his mana. He felt Cullen stiffen as he felt Solas' mana surround them, but Solas ignored the man. 

"Here!" the Mother Giselle shouted, pointing to an open tent. Cullen carefully placed her down on a cot and backed away slowly, running his hands through his hair in shock. 

"Please, I need space and quiet." Solas said as he instantly began hovering his hands above her most crucial injuries. "I also need healing potions, lyrium potions, and hot water."

Cullen barked out orders and a few recruits ran out to grab the items. "Thank you Commander, I'll inform you of her status shortly. As of right now, I believe I can heal her, although it will take some time." Cullen nodded and ducked out of the tent. After the items were brought to him, he asked the recruits to leave and they did.

When no one else was left, he placed physical and sound barriers around the tent. He closed his eyes and gathered his mana the energies of the fade around him. He opened his eyes and they glowed a steely silvery blue. His aura glowed the same color, and he performed the first spell. With a wave of his hand over her body, all of her bones that had been broken were fixed. He gazed upon her and noted a few spots of internal bleeding and external lacerations. He blinked, and pushed his mana forth, and it coated her like a wave of energy and settled upon her body like a blanket. Within a moment, all of the bleeding stopped and the lacerations closed. Her muscles were tense and overworked, and her body temperature was far too low. He blinked again, and the blanket of mana that he had covered her with pulsed and massaged her muscles, while he cast small heating spells around her body. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, and all the mana he had extended returned to his body, and when he opened his eyes again they had returned to their normal color. The room, that had been buzzing and aglow with energy dimmed and softened. He gave her the lyrium potion to replenish her mana, and the healing potion to help further soothe any residual pain she might feel from her head injury. 

Her eyes slowly opened. "Atishan, Da'len. You're safe here." 

She rose her eyebrows with uncertainty, "Am I? Are you not still mad at me?"

"Mad? No Da'len? I need answers, but this is not the time. You need to heal." He looked down at her hand and placed his atop of it. "You... placed yourself in harms way for me, twice while in battle. Once for the rogue, and then again for the arrow. Thank you Da'len. I didn't think anyone would do that for me."

She smiled up at him, "I truly care about you, Solas. No matter what secrets you and I might keep, I hope you remember that."

"You sacrificed yourself, didn't you?" he asked. "You told me you would be right behind me, but that is never what you intended to do, is it?" 

She smiled at him again. ".... Halam'shivanas. I have a feeling you probably know how that feels." 

He smirked with a snort. "I suppose I might." She placed her hand on his cheek, and he fought the urge to close his eyes and lean into it.

"Ir abelas, hahren. But thank you for saving me.... and so effectively!" She looked down and marveled at her lack of wounds. "How long did this take you?!" she asked in disbelief. 

He shrugged, "A few moments", not being able to help but show off. She looked at him with wide eyes, and shivered slightly from the cold mountain air. Solas created small fire balls that hovered mid-air around her bed. He couldn't help but be a bit more of himself with her. She stared at them in awe.

"You have to show me how to do that..." she mumbled. He saw the goosebumps still on her skin, and sat next to her in the cot, putting his arm around her. 

"I will, but first, you need to get warm, and then you need sleep." He looked away pensively. "How did you survive, Ellana? I was so certain you were.... I hadn't dared let myself hope that you yet lived. And yet here you are. You are...." he shook his head and looked down. She placed her arm through his and squeezed, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I had people who believed in me. Hope and faith do marvelous things, Solas."

"You must be right" he said softly, feeling her body begin to relax. He felt her breathing slow and soften, and he leaned her back to lay in the cot, covering her almost entirely with big wool blankets. He went to exit the tent to inform Cullen of her recovery and ask for a small fire to be brought in to keep her warm, but looked back at her sleeping form once more. He pictured her, throwing herself in front of the arrow aimed for him. He pictured her begging him to run to safety, as she stayed behind with sad eyes. She cared for him, truly cared. Would sacrifice her life for his. He closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He felt a sudden longing to hold her, to thank her... to let her in. He felt their mana, reaching and mingling for each other in the tent, even as she lay unconscious. He sighed, and stepped out into the cold. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Atishan - Peace  
Halam'shivanas - The sweet sacrifice of duty


	10. Tarasyl'an Te'las

Ellana opened her eyes slowly, and saw the shadows the small fire cast on the walls of her tent. The world seemed quiet, and she tried to soak up the peacefulness of the moment. Her muscles were stiff and sore, but she was otherwise fine. She felt well rested, and was sure Solas must have cast a spell that helped her rest through the night. As she left the tent, she heard the advisors arguing about their next step. She rounded the corner of the tent quickly, wanting to hold on to the peaceful moment just a few moments more. She cast a warming spell on the ground right behind her tent, and then again around herself, as she sat down and looked up at the early morning sky, still sprinkled with stars. It was still dark, and the sun had not yet begun to show itself, still, she could see out into the valley below. It was beautiful, but terrifyingly secluded, with no supplies or shelter. 

"What have we here?" a cold voice said quietly. She turned to see a tall human man approaching her. She could tell he wasn't the friendly sort, and stood up to better defend herself. As she rose, he roughly pushed her back and she fell to the snow. "Fucking knife ear, you should know your place. Perhaps I should teach it to you?" She stared up at the man with a raw burning anger. She didn't want to hurt anyone, especially a human. That would bring her nothing but trouble, but if someone was going to hurt her she wouldn't hold back. The man sneered, "Never met an elf that wasn't a complete pile of shit," and he rose his fist to hit her. She brought fire to her hands, but before she could even release it, the man froze in place. His eyes spoke of fear, but he didn't move a single muscle. And then she felt it.... a powerful and dark power, emanating from the other side of the tent. She felt it reach out to her, and she felt her own mana respond in kind. Solas?

He rounded the corner of the tent, never removing his gaze from the man in front of her. He whispered something in the man's ear, and waved his hand over the man's face. The man crumpled to the ground, completely unconscious. His aura was angry and wild, and hummed with repressed energy. Her mana reached out to it, cool and soothing. "Thank you," she reached out and held his hand in both of hers. He still did not take his gaze from the man on the ground. She could see his jaw clenching in anger. She didn't blame him, for she had felt the same way but a moment ago. She reached out a hand and turned his face to hers. "Give him no more thought. He doesn't deserve your energy. He can serve as an example, of how not to treat the elves in our Inquisition. Only a fool indeed would with you in our group", she smirked at him. At this, she felt the tension release from his body, his jaw relaxed. 

"Only a fool would lay a hand on you, the person who just saved them".

"I'm sure he didn't recognize me. A mistake we'll make sure that he realizes when he wakes up." She almost laughed at the thought of this nobody practically soiling themselves at the thought. She was sure Cullen would have a field day with this one. "Will you go inform Cullen? I'll stay with our friend here." Solas squeezed her hand before letting go, and turning on his heel. 

_So much for a peaceful moment,_ she thought to herself. 

Cullen and Cassandra rounded the corner in a rage, binding the man and dragging him to the center of camp. She followed closely behind. 

"Do you see? This is exactly why we can't just march on, pretending as though everything were normal. We can't even trust everyone here!" and the arguing began once again. Mother Giselle walked up to Ellana right as she was about to step out into the circle to join them, "Another angry voice will not help."

"I can't just sit back and do nothing," Ellana responded hotly. "I know you're going to respond with some kind of remark about keeping faith, but it's just not enough right now Mother Giselle." She slowly walked away towards the advisers, and she suddenly heard Mother Giselle begin singing. It was a song she knew not, a Shemlen song, but it was hauntingly beautiful. Before Ellana knew it, Leliana and others began to join her. Apparently everyone knew this song. They slowly began to approach her... as if they were singing for her, and by the end of the song they knelt. Maybe Mother Giselle was right.... maybe these Shems really were placing their trust in her... believing in her after all they had seen and all she had done. When the song was done, some of them returned to their tents while others gathered by the fires in camaraderie. 

Solas walked behind her lightly and whispered, "A word?" She followed him to a remote hill top with an unlit lantern. He wove his hand over it and it lit. He began speaking and she watched the small firelight cast dancing shadows across his face. He described the orb that Corypheus used against them, it's elven origin. It was the foci of their ancient gods, channeling their ancient power. 

"If they discover it is Elven in origin", she whispered.

"Exactly. That is why it might be best to be upfront. They show you a respect I have not seen elsewhere, this could be our saving grace. In addition, I know of a place not far from here that could serve as a new home for the Inquisition. It is a strong fortress, with enough room for the Inquisition to build and grow. It would be best if you were to lead them there. They have a growing faith in you, and they trust you. I can guide you, Lethallan."

She was quite for a moment, and he saw her gazing up into his eyes. "Thank you, Solas" she said quietly but forcefully. "I believe the advisers have a map. Will you tell me this place's name and location?" 

"Our people called it Tarasyl'an Te'las. Skyhold. And I can show you it's location."

She nodded. He began to walk back to the camp, but she remained. He turned to her and raised a brow. "Then, I believe it may be time to retire. And..... there are things that I must share with you. Perhaps in the fade?"

"I would appreciate that."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After their discussion at the war table, she approached Solas again. "Now for our discussion."

"Yes, but perhaps somewhere a bit nicer?" he said with a small smile.

They walked the streets of Haven, although she wasn't sure why. He described to her how he had tried to seal the breach, tried to heal her hand to no avail. He got more and more animated and excited as he told his story. "You held the key to our salvation, and you sealed it with a gesture. And right then, I felt the whole world change." 

"Felt the whole world change?" she asked as she swayed closer to him. _Flirting again.... stupid girl._

"A... figure of speech" he said.

"I'm aware, but.... I'm more interested in what you _felt"_, she said slowly as she took another tantalizing step. She knew what she was doing, and she couldn't help herself. As she had watched him just now, she felt so attracted to him. As she listened to his voice, she longed to hear it more. And as she stepped closer, she knew she had fallen more deeply than she had realized. 

He took a step towards her this time, "You change.... everything." 

"Sweet talker," she said in a teasing tone.

He suddenly looked down and blushed, a look she had never seen on his face before. And as he went to look away, she cupped his cheek in her hand and turned is face towards her. She took the final step in and kissed him passionately, but quickly pulled away. She felt her world spin, surely he didn't want this. She turned to leave, feeling embarrassed, and felt his hand on her arm. He looked at her with mischievous eyes, shaking his head and smiling slightly. He pulled her close and held her tightly as he kissed her deeply. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She could feel their auras, that had mingled and reached for each other for so long dance and spark as they kissed. She knew he could feel it to, and he hugged her body close to his. She felt her heart race and pound in her ears, and she lost herself in his embrace. She felt his tongue exploring her lip, and her heart leapt as she felt her own tongue begin exploring his. She felt him begin to pull away, and as he did she lightly bit his bottom lip. He sighed at this, and pulled his face away to look at her. He shook his head again, but this time instead of mischievous eyes, his eyes spoke of desire and longing. He bowed his head to hers and kissed her once more. He pulled away quickly however, "We shouldn't.... not even her. It isn't right."

"Why, Solas? Why is it wrong?" He shook his head once again, and she could see the conflict in his eyes. "Because you don't want to lie to me... you don't want to hurt me." He looked at her with a startled expression. "Solas.... there's something... I need to tell you."

She changed the scenery around them, and suddenly they were deep in an emerald green forest. A dalish camp sat across a river. "A memory?" he asked. She nodded and looked on. She saw a memory of herself flee to the river. 

"Hey Oracle!" a Dalish boy yelled after her. He threw a rock at her, and it hit her in the cheek. "Freak!" He yelled. 

They noticed another smaller boy further down the river. He cupped water in his hands and was about to drink, when the past Ellana spoke, "Don't drink that."

"Why?" the boy asked coldly.

"Because you're about to drink a slug, and you're going to get sick. Then those other boys will laugh at you, and you'll run away crying."

"My mother told me you were weird." 

"Did she also say that I was wrong?" The boy looked at her cautiously, and then looked at the water in his hand. He stuck his tongue out at her and drank. Suddenly, his face went red and he coughed up the slug. They could hear the older boys laughing, and the youngest ran in tears. 

The older boy who had harassed her earlier threw another rock, and without even looking she caught it in her hand. "Saw that coming, did you?" the boy spat bitterly as he stalked away.

Suddenly, it was nighttime, and Ellana and Solas watched as the much younger Ellana, bag on her back, snuck from the Dalish camp, never to return, and the scene disappeared. They were back in Solas' meadow. 

"They called you Oracle. You have visions?" She nodded. "That's why you were at the Conclave?" She nodded again. "If you knew what was going to happen, why did you even step foot in that place?"

"I didn't know the details of the conclave, but I knew if I didn't go terrible things would happen. My vision had always been fuzzy. My intuition told me how events would unfold. And then, I went into the fade at the Conclave, and while I was there my powers were.... enhanced. I _saw_ with a clarity I had never seen before. I saw the lives of everyone I was about to meet at the Inquisition. I saw their stories and their characters. I saw their past trials and mistakes, their hurts, and some of the future of our organization. Many things were still unclear, because their outcomes are based on decisions yet to be made. I also know, that if I reveal too much before the right time, events will be altered and terrible consequences will occur."

He regarded her with caution. "You saw.... your friends' past?" he said nervously. She nodded and took a step towards him. She took his hand in hers and looked into his eyes. "You mentioned mistakes?"

"Yes, mistakes. Everyone makes them, ma Falon. Even you, Fen'Harel." 

He stopped breathing. He felt a cold sweat drip down his neck. He didn't want to kill her. More than anyone ever before, he didn't want to kill her. He felt his heart breaking. He felt like he couldn't do this anymore. He felt like breaking down. But The People, they needed him. 

"Solas," she said softly. "Stop and think this through." She could feel the danger emitting from him, but she held fast. This was the moment. This was the deciding factor. She prayed she had timed it correctly. "I have known this whole time. I was never a danger to you." She felt him calm slightly. 

"Tell me what you know," he said coldly.

She sat on the grass with the big tree at her back. "Sit with me, ma falon", she said as she patted the ground. He slowly sat next to her, tense and rigid. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"I saw back, it must have been more than a thousand years ago. You were bold and brave and beautiful, shining in armor, fighting in wars unfathomable. Your fellows, the Evanuris, they had become blind with power, causing wars and famine. They enslaved The People. I saw a vision of you, hiding these people away, offering them protection. You were a rebel freedom fighter, and you had many faithful followers. I had another vision... you created the veil in order to stop them. They had gone to far. They killed her." Ellana found herself becoming overcome with emotion, her voice choked. "You did what you had to, but you didn't realize that the consequences would be so severe. Would you have still done it, I wonder?" She looked at him, but he refused to look back. He stared straight in front of himself, waiting to hear more. "You slept, in your perfected Uthenera, for a thousand years, watching the world fall apart through the eyes of the world. You watched your people disappear, and all that remained not only fell victim to slavery once again but embraced it. Everything you had ever worked for, all you had scarified was in vain." She looked down, her vision blurred, tears began to roll down her cheeks. He looked down at her then, but was still silent. "My heart breaks for you, falon, and all that you have lost. It is a cruel fate to have so much rest on your shoulders. There was another vision. The night at the camp, when we both had a nightmare? I had accidentally... walked in on yours so to speak. I watched you kill that man, and I feared I had misjudged you. Perhaps you had become a cold blooded murderer as you slept all those years. Anyone could become mad after so much time, especially seeing what you were forced to witness through the ages. And then, finally, you awoke. You had to fix things. You had to make this right. You were weakened, from the veil, from your slumber. Corypheus was strong, but not strong enough to live. Or so you thought." She paused.... "and then you met me." She sniffled and smiled slightly. She looked up at him.  
  
"And then.. I met you."

"I need you to know, Solas.... while I might not agree with every decision you have or will ever make, I understand them. I know why you have done what you have done. And if my intuition is correct, what you are trying to do now. And I am here for you. I believe that may be my greatest role in all of this. Not accidentally taking the mark that was meant to be yours.... not defeating Corypheus.... but to be here for you. No one can walk a path as difficult as yours alone. You need a light my friend, or you might loose your way. I hope I can help you with that. I hope I can be the friend that you need." She sighed and looked down. "So... here's to hoping you don't kill me now." He looked at her in shock. "You killed your friend before... I know that you value your mission and your people more than your own soul. You will do what you deem necessary. All I can tell you is that I hope you believe I am no threat to you. I only wish to help. Also know, that I want to help everyone in this world, and I have to believe that is possible. It is as you said to Cassandra, 'the inherent right of all free willed people to exist', right?" She looped her arm through his and hugged it. "I care for you, Solas, and don't you dare say that feeling is misplaced" she said as she sighed. He almost laughed at how quickly she knew his thought.

Their auras were completely intertwined. Here in the fade, you could even see it. She latched onto his, as if giving him a hug, and he sighed. "Do you know what this is..... what it is called?" He asked as he pointed to their auras. She shook her head no. "Sal'lath." 

She looked up at him, mouth agape in shock at the term. "Soulmates.." she whispered.

"I must confess, that even in my long years, I have only seen it once. And it took actually seeing it to believe it existed. And I have doubted it ever since. But you.... you changed everything. To find you here... in this forsaken world. I didn't think it possible." His face darkened, "I confess, I had been cautious, feeling as if somehow you knew too much. I would have never guessed..... you knew the whole time that I am at fault.. for everything... the veil, the fall of The People, even Corypheus, the breach, and the mark that curses your hand, perhaps your very life." He paused and looked into her eyes, "And instead of being fearful or hateful even.... you care? You want to... look after me? Why not kill me? Why not seek revenge?"

"You are no god, Solas, despite what some might say. You can't control the events of the world, try as you might. Believe it or not, the fault doesn't rest solely on your shoulders. Everyone is to blame. The people of history, humans, elves, all of us for the current state of the world. Much more so than you. The veil and the events leading up to that decision? Try the Evanuris, the Elvhenan who succumbed to fear and slavery. While you are the only one left, the blame is not yours alone. No one alive today can fathom the weight on your shoulders, and the difficult decisions you were left with. I for one, will not judge you for it. I can't even say I would have done anything different in your place. I don't blame you, Solas, and neither should you. I hope I can help your heart heal." She softly traced her fingers along his jawline. "Your plans for the future however.... well perhaps you need a fresh perspective." 

"Will you tell the others?" he asked.

She laughed, "Heavens, no! First off, I don't want you to kill me in my sleep. Second, it is not my story to share. Every single person here has a past that they haven't shared with the group, and I won't rat them out either. We all have our burdens. I am privileged and honored to know them, and I won't share them with anyone." 

She looked at their mingling and dancing auras. "Sal'lath", she whispered. 

He took her chin in his hands and turned her face so that she saw his eyes shining. "First off", he mimicked, "I will never harm you." He kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Second" he glanced at their auras, 'Sal'lath." 

They leaned into each other, pressing their foreheads together, eyes closed. "What does that mean, Solas?"

"It means, that we are permanently and irrecoverably bound in spirit. It means we were always destined to find one another. It means," he said opening his eyes and tucking her hair behind her ear, "that perhaps you are drawn to helping me because we were always meant to help each other. And it means," he leaned in and kissed her softly, "ar lath ma, vhenan." 

She felt her heart flutter in her chest at hearing the words her heart had secretly wanted to hear from him, apparently all her life. He kissed her deeply. "Ar lath ma, Solas" she replied. She saw his eyes water, right before he closed them. She leaned over to kiss him again. She felt his fingers tangle through her hair, and she gripped his tunic tightly with one hand while placing the other over his heart. He pulled her up onto his lap, and she straddled him beneath the tree in the meadow. Leaning down to kiss him, her hair curtained his face. He pressed his fingers into her back, and licked her lips with his tongue. She opened her mouth slightly, and they kissed more passionately. She could feel their auras changing, becoming more excited, sparks flying. She pressed her body into his, making sure that she pressed into him just the right way. He sighed into her mouth, one hand running down, the other hand roaming upwards. He cupped her breast and sighed again. She heard a soft moan escape her lips and their aura reached new heights, and expanded around them. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ellana!" Cassandra shouted through the tent flap. Ellana shot up in her cot, breathing heavily. "Sorry to wake you, but it's time to pack up and start heading to our new home," Cassandra said, rather cheerfully for her. "The Maker has blessed us with this chance.... blessed you my friend."

"Indeed. Coming!" She yelled back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sal'lath - direct translation = Soul love (Soul mate)


	11. En'an'sal'in

Solas rose slowly from his cot, his mind reeling. _'That was foolish... I shouldn't have succumbed to my personal desires.' _And yet, he knew that he couldn't have stopped even if he had wanted to. "Sal'lath", he whispered. He was helpless in the current, and she pulled him to her, and he felt himself doing the same. Their auras touched even now, 3 tents apart. And to top it all off, the would resume their journey today.... Skyhold. He had not deserved such a place... but she did. He signed heavily. Some days, he felt the youthful body of an immortal, but not today. Today he felt his years deep in his bones, in his soul. 

Since he had opened his mind and essence to her in the fade, he felt more attuned to her aura. He felt her move around her tent to get ready for the day. He felt her walk past his tent to go get breakfast. He felt her approach his tent. 

"Solas?" she asked quietly. 

"Come in" he said, a little more stiffly than he had intended. 

She held out a cup of coffee and a plate. "I brought breakfast", she smiled warmly. She sat on the ground, and then looked at him with a frown. She sighed, "Solas... you can fight this all day long, but I don't think you'll get anywhere.... and I think you know that too. Sit with me", she gestured to the food. 

He sat, and she placed her hand on his. "I know you're... apprehensive. I know you're not sure. But I think that's how it goes. Even for people not in our 'unique' position", she chuckled. "We're adults. Don't worry, Solas. You're not signing a contract by seeing where this goes."

He looked down thoughtfully. "First, comparatively, you are no adult Da'len." She smacked him playfully and he laughed. "Second," he reached his mana so it caressed her face, his aura entangled with hers, "Sal'lath", he whispered reverently like it was her name, "I don't think I can enter into this so lightly. I think," he leaned into her, "that what is between us is stronger than that," their aura flashed and sparked and he kissed her gently. He felt his mana wrap around her body. When she was so close to him he couldn't help it, it would seem. All his fears and reservations fled to the back of his mind, rather than the front. 

She smiled and stood to leave. She looked over her shoulder. "Good", she said with a devilish grin, and left. 

He thought about how he had gotten to know her so quickly this past month. She was strong and resilient. She went out of her way to help others, she was compassionate and kind. She trusted him and placed her faith in him as no other had done before, even knowing his secrets and past, so quickly and readily. It humbled his ancient heart, and he felt it flutter in his chest. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The road to Skyhold was treacherous and gruesome, seeing how there was no road to Skyhold. The snowy mountains provided no shelter, and no easy path, and it was slow-going. They stopped after a long first day, and set up camp. Solas watched as Ellana entered a tent with the advisers to discuss the next day's journey, and then retreated to his own tent. He quickly entered the fade. He walked the paths, like ancient forests he had traveled in countless times. He knew exactly which paths to take without having to stop and think. They were familiar and comforting. 

Wisdom smiled as he approached, "Ma Falon, aneth ara." She gave him a look he knew to be teasing. Wisdom clearly knew he had come to talk of Ellana. "Ellana", wisdom seemed to repeat back. "She speaks the common tongue of today's world? I could speak with her."

Solas rose his eyebrow, "I think not yet, falon." 

"Do you doubt my ability to speak their language? You have taught me well, friend."

He shook his head, "I just prefer one step at a time, my friend. And I fear I have taken several in the past day alone." He told Wisdom of all that had transpired. Of his connection to her and her remarkable abilities. "If she had been born before, in my time.... she truly would have been remarkable, a force to be reckoned with. She could have helped me stop them." 

Wisdom held up a hand to stop him, "She _is_ remarkable, my friend. You can't deny that much. Perhaps this world has more to offer than you believed. Perhaps there are things worth saving, worth preserving." Solas gave an exasperated sigh. "But that is not what you wish to discuss. You are unsure of the path you should take next." 

Solas looked down, torn. "Lasa ghilan, ma falon."

"Sal'lath", wisdom replied.

"It's not that simple," Solas replied quickly. "I walk the din'anshiral. At best, I will leave her heartbroken. At worst, she will follow me down that path. Din'anshiral, or lathbora viran."

"Telanadas!" Wisdom nearly shouted. Solas had never heard Wisdom sound irritated before, and it was startling. "Nothing is inevitable. The world is full of possibilities. Your choices are as numerous as the stars in the sky. Find a new one, my friend. You deserve a new path. There must be a way to save your culture and people without destroying your own. Death is not the answer, Solas. I've tried telling you before."

"Ar eolasa, ma dirthem i've." He sighed, "Ar tel'unvena vir." 

"As elana halani", Wisdom whispered with a smile. "Dhrua ash." 

Suddenly, Solas' aura flashed around him and pulled towards something. He felt her... but how?

"Thu?" he whispered, his eyes searching for her. And there she was in front of him. Her eyes sparkled when they met his gaze. Their aura's reached out and entangled. 

"Vhenan?" he whispered, and Wisdom gave him a smile. He internally rolled his eyes at slipping in front of her. 

"Solas!" Ellana called out. "There you are!" 

"Ellana, how did you find this place? It is not possible you have been here before."  
  
She mistook it for a question, "No, I haven't been here before."  
  
"Then how did you get here? It shouldn't be possible. This place hasn't existed for centuries." He looked at her in wonder.

She gestured to their auras, "I felt you here... I felt.... pulled to you. I followed that." She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him with a cute smile, "It's as you said, we're meant to find one another."

She didn't realized exactly what she had just done. It is impossible to travel to a place you have never been to or seen before, either vicariously through another or physically yourself. It should have been impossible for her to meet him here. And yet here she was. 

She looked at Wisdom and smiled brightly, "Hello! I'm Ellana. You must be a friend of Solas'." She spoke to Wisdom as if she was just another person to befriend. He shuddered to think how Sara or The Iron Bull might react towards Wisdom. Or anyone else for that matter. 

"I am Wisdom, child. It is a pleasure to meet you." Wisdom circled around Ellana, and Ellana straightened up, as if to give Wisdom a proper look instead of out of fear. "You are truly special, indeed. I can see exactly why you two have been destined together." 

Ellana blushed, "Well it is an honor to meet a spirit of Wisdom. I hope to learn a great deal from you, if that is ok with you of course."

Wisdom studied her for a moment. Solas knew she had rarely spoken to another soul, and disliked being near people of the physical world as much as possible. "Yes.... I would like that as well", Wisdom replied. 

Wisdom and Ellana talked for a few hours, as Solas watched. They seemed to be old friends, kindred spirits. "Did Solas tell you that he can shapeshift in the physical world as well?"

Ellana looked at him wide-eyed, "What?!" 

"Technically speaking, anyone with the ability here should be able to there as well."

"Technically speaking, anyone could do this before the veil" Solas added. "It is much more difficult now, mostly impossible for mortals. However, if you are capable here, perhaps... we shall see." 

Ellana turned to Wisdom, "Thank you for telling me this!" 

"Of course, da'len." Wisdom responded happily. "I believe I will venture out now." She turned to Solas, "Dhura, falon", and she disappeared. 

He looked at Ellana, still reeling that she was even here in this place. "You are so... unexpected, so... incredible."

"Hmm.." she said as she wrapped her arms around his waist once again, "not lightly given praise, coming from an ancient elven god." She teased.

He tensed. "No." He responded shortly.

"I was only teasing," she said as she kissed his cheek. "Ancient immortal _person,_ who happens to be incredibly attractive." 

He blushed slightly. She was stirring the same feelings she had last night. Feelings he hadn't even realized he still had, could still have. He pulled her closer, "You're not upset by ancient age? I hear mortals don't appreciate older men."

She laughed brightly, "I suppose I'll make an exception". She kissed him lightly, before pushing off against his chest, transforming into a white wolf and running through the ancient ruin.

Solas followed her, his black fur glistening in the moonlight. He remembered Wisdom's words. His heart longed to heed them. This woman was... perfect. She was everything he had ever wanted, and he hadn't even realized he had wanted this. Before, there was only a war or a mission. And more recently, there was only the restoration of the people. He hadn't wanted love. He hadn't wanted 'the one', 'sal'lath'. And here she was, and for the first time in his long, lonely life he felt a piece of himself restored, like he was being made whole when he hadn't even realized there was something missing before. To lose her now, just the thought jarred him. He stopped suddenly, staring intensely at her paw-prints in the snow. The pain of losing her was already almost more than he could bare. The thought of not being with her, missing her light, almost like missing half of himself. He felt her aura reach out to his, as she wrapped her slender body around his and nuzzled his face. 

He howled to the moon, and she joined him. It was hauntingly beautiful. He felt their auras, their very souls becoming more attached to one another.... and he let it. He let her in.... and then they ran through the forest hearing the snow crunch beneath them, guided by the starlight and the fadelight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aneth ara - Friendly greeting  
Lasa ghilan - give me guidance  
Din'anshiral - journey of death  
Lathbora Viran - "The path to a place of lost love", a longing for a thing one can never have  
Telenadas - nothing is inevitable  
Ar eolasa, ma dirthem i've - I know you've told me this before  
Ar tel'unvena vir - I have not found any other way  
As elana halani - she can help you  
Dhura ash - believe in her  
Thu - how?


	12. Glandival

Solas walked the grounds of Skyhold. He knew this place better than anyone else here, and yet he felt lost. Nothing in this world was as it had once been. He felt the pull of ancient magic, so faint and weak. What felt new, inspiring and a wonderment to others felt like death, decay and sadness to him. Returning to this familiar place made him feel lonelier than ever. He walked into the large rotunda, underneath the library. He stared up and breathed in the smell of dust and old books, trying to find peace in it. 

He heard a commotion and walked out the door of the rotunda to find a large gathering of people in front of the main gates. He leaned over the stone wall to see Cassandra and Leliana handing Ellana a large sword. Ellana looked at it apprehensively, then looked to the crowd. He felt her aura reach out, searching for him. He sent his to her, and she felt it and found him instantly. He gave her a nod and a small smile. She smiled at the women in front of her, and accepted the sword. She claimed it for her people, elves, mages, and all in Thedas. She claimed it and swore the Inquisition's purpose wasn't to gain fame or glory, but to restore order and do what was right, what was necessary. What was brave and good when others needed them most. Solas felt his chest tightening. He felt proud of her, of what she stood for, of what she believed in. The crowd cheered loudly as she rose the sword high into the air.

He walked back into the rotunda, and felt the loneliness creep back into his heart. He felt her aura tendril and reach his, like their fingers were grasping and intertwining, as she entered the main room with the advisers to begin planning. Her presence, and the pull of her aura comforted him. The overwhelming dark loneliness he felt, combined with the small sliver of hope he felt in her, gave him a strange hollow feeling. So he decided to do what had always helped him through things in the past... art. Music, literature, art, was all an escape. Solas had always valued knowledge and academics. His mind was built for it, just as he was built for a cunning and prowess in battle. As much as his people had faltered, with all of their shortcomings and mistakes, they had always recognized the value in art. In self-expression, in having an creative outlet, and in contributing to their culture in ways more ancient and powerful than themselves. It was their peace, and it was what held them together even as the world fell apart. His memories flashed to the wise elf that had taught him to paint fresco, and he felt a small smile upon his lips.

He took out the brushes and small set of paints from the bottom of his satchel and placed them on the ground for later. He stared at the walls around him. This place needed a fresh start. It needed something besides himself, and he didn't want the art to just reflect his own view of the world. He looked around the room.

This world. Where in the world was he? This wasn't his world, his time. Why was he getting sucked into this? None of it was even real, none of it even mattered. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He pictured the house of Mythal as it had once been, a bright and shining beacon of Elvhen. He pictured children playing in the gardens. He pictured floating palaces, with spirit guides and shared knowledge and beliefs, shared visions and reality. None of these people were familiar. This place wasn't familiar. Those who were once his friends for countless ages, were all gone. Replaced with ghosts who were fleeting. With no shared knowledge, a wide range of various beliefs, no magic to speak of... no real magic at any rate. He clenched his fist at his side. He felt himself falling through what felt like an abyss, a void of loneliness, regret, and the feeling of being completely and utterly lost in a completely unfamiliar world that was no longer his. He felt a cold magic rise around him. He was becoming angry. He took a deep breath. If anyone were to step in the room, they would instantly feel an immense and repressing power, a power they did not understand or realize he possessed. 

Suddenly, the door opened. It was her. He felt the pull of her aura, and a soothing magic surround him. She walked up behind him slowly and cautiously, before wrapping her arms around his waist from behind. Her presence calmed his spirit, and his mana was subdued around him. "This must be difficult for you, Vhenan. Thank you for bringing us here." She kissed his back softly. "Are you alright?"

He found that he was unable to speak, still completely overwhelmed and trying desperately to remain in control and keep his power in check. He placed his hands over hers and gripped tightly, anchoring himself. She kissed him once more before saying, "It must be so overwhelming for you sometimes, waking to a world so completely different. It must feel wrong." She paused before adding, "There must have been others, friends that you had spent centuries with. Do you miss them?" 

He felt a tear escape his cheek, and it hit her arm. "Every day." He whispered. 

"Are they.... can any of them be saved?"

He sighed heavily, "I believe so. But it will require much."

"Well then," she said softly as she stepped around in front of him keeping her arms wrapped around him, "We'll work on that together." 

He finally allowed himself to look into her eyes, and he saw she was crying. She felt so deeply for him, and he hadn't even realized. He wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb, and kissed the tip of her nose. "Tel' numin, ma Vhenan. I didn't mean to make you sad." He smiled at her, although he knew it didn't reach his eyes. 

She shook her head, "It is true, I cry mostly for you. I feel the deep hurt in your heart. But I cry for The People, just as you Solas. What you have lost, what we have lost. What they lost." She pressed her palm to his cheek, "Solas..... it's not your fault."

His eyes flashed of steel, and his jaw set. "It is not your fault, Solas."

"You wouldn't say that.... if you knew.... if you had been there,"

She raised her other hand to his other cheek, "Then I would have seen the loss and devastation, the greed and waste of life in endless wars, and would have done anything to stop it from happening to my people."

He closed his eyes, "I wish it were true, Vhenan. I wish I were as good as you believed me to be. I'm afraid the truth is more complex." 

Her quiet laugh made him open his eyes to look at her, "We are all complex. We all have the potential for goodness, or evil. My intentions to close the breach was as much to save my own ass as it was to save the people of Thedas. I'm sure many decisions you have made have been the same, if not wildly more complex. That doesn't make it wrong. That doesn't make you bad." 

Part of him even believed her. The part of him that was waking and becoming a part of this world. But the real part of him, his true self, the part of him that remembered, knew she was wrong. Sometimes, no matter your intentions, some actions and consequences are unforgivable. Some consequences are so severe that your intentions don't matter. If she had seen how things were, how life was before. If she truly understood what he had taken away from The People..... 

"Solas.... I imagine it must be difficult to stay focused in the present, seeing as you have thousands of years worth of memories in that gigantic brain of yours" she stood on her toes to reach his neck and whispered in his ear, "So perhaps I should try various things to help ground you to the present." She placed her lips on his neck, giving him slow and agonizing kisses. He felt the heat of her breath, and the small nip of her teeth. She reached up further, and spread a trail of kisses up his neck. When she reached the lobe of his ear, he inhaled sharply. His mind stopped reeling, and he felt a tightening in his gut and butterflies in his chest. He turned her chin with his thumb and index finger and placed his mouth hard on hers. He pressed into her, and bit her lip gently. He was still surprised when their auras sparked and danced around them. When they began joining together sensually, the feeling of it took his breath away. He gasped, as did she, and they kissed harder then. He pressed into her mouth ever so slightly with his tongue, and she pressed back. She turned her head to the side slightly, and he rose his hand to hold the back of her head, tangling his fingers through her hair. He let his other hand drift down to the small of her back, and he pulled her body closer to his. He took a step forward, forcing her to take a step back, and he pushed her into the wall by mistake. She gasped, and they broke the kiss in surprise at how their bodies had seemed to involuntarily move. She laughed quietly, and he smiled down at her. "Well... that seemed to work", she said teasingly. 

He looked into her eyes, feeling a mixture of guilt, surprise, and happiness. "I didn't expect to find anything in this world worth attachment. I didn't expect... to find..." Suddenly, she was up on her toes again and pressed a passionate kiss to his lips. He gasped into her mouth, and pressed into her. She slid her leg up his, and wrapped it around him, using it to pull his body to hers. And he let it. He moved up against her, and his stomach was suddenly in flames. He burned and felt consumed by it. He slid his mouth to her neck and pressed desperate kisses and half-bites into her neck as he tangled his fingers through her hair grabbing it and pulling it slightly, and held her other hand against the wall. She leaned her head back against the wall, eyes closed, and he could feel her breasts rising and falling into his chest as she breathed heavily. She dug her nails into his shoulder, and lowered her head so that her lips gently grazed his ear. She kissed it softly before pressing her tongue to bite it sensually. The feeling it gave him made him rise up into her quickly, and he pressed and pinned her between his body and the wall. She wrapped her other leg around his waist and grunted quietly. He felt the rising heat in his body, felt it spread to his lower half. He restrained himself from grinding against her, and caressed her ear and cheek in his fingers and hand. He kissed her slowly, pouring as much energy as he could out with the kiss. He sighed heavily, and looked into her eyes once more. Her face was flushed, and she was breathing heavily. She looked so beautiful.

She lowered her legs so that she stood on her own two feet again, but he didn't move away from her. She pushed her hands against his chest, and he took a step back. "One day, I'm going to get that wolf in you to come out" she teased, "but until then, start doing what you do best."

He looked at her puzzled. _'Destroy? Tear apart? Ruin?'_, he thought. 

She picked up his paints and handed them to him. "Create." She said simply, and walked out with a smile.

_'Create?'_ he thought perplexed. '_Other than art, when have I ever been good at creation? What does she see, that I don't?' _

Even with those thoughts, that one simple word, her belief in him even though all evidence seemed to point to the contrary, gave him a sliver of hope he hadn't realized he needed. He looked at the wall to plan his first mural, and knew exactly what he wanted to do. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tel' numin - Don't cry


	13. El'u

_Solas walked in a dark and vast field. He saw Arlathan in the distance, the only bright thing he could see, and even so it seemed dark with the lack of sunlight. The clouds hung low and threatened to rain. He looked behind him and saw his friend, Felivetanis, crouched low in the tall grass behind him. '**A dream, then**', Solas thought. He allowed his mind to wander and continue through the dream. Solas was so very young then, when Felivetanis followed him into battles. He felt his black hair hang in dreads around him with the lower half shaved, and the metal headpiece that wrapped around his forehead tied in the back, bringing his hair into a ponytail. He looked down at his ancient battle gear fondly. He looked down into a puddle and saw the vallaslin cover his forehead and cheeks. He looked up and noticed movement ahead. He crouched low, ready for battle. He heard a signal behind him, and noticed Felivetanis signal towards the left. There they were, the enemy. Solas signaled his group, and they ran around to flank the enemy. They ran low to the ground, and moved as a pack about to strike. When they were in position, he cried out and they attacked the enemy group completely by surprise. Solas had a long sword in one hand, a dagger in the other. He struck with lighting quick reflexes and impeccable precision. He looked an enemy in the eyes as he stuck his sword through it's throat, and kicked it to the ground before seamlessly twirling around and slicing through another. He moved gracefully, as if it were a natural thing to do, and it reminded him of how he moves with his staff in the waking world. He realized his style heavily reflected his earlier years. They had been outnumbered, but the battle was won quickly. He and his team were unstoppable. Solas felt arrogance and pride rise in his heart. He had enjoyed the battle, and had been itching for a fight. He laughed with Felivetanis as they began to leave the field, proud and strong warriors. Suddenly, Felivetanis stopped laughing and dropped to his knees. Solas looked down at him, baffled at his friend's behavior... and then he saw the arrow sticking straight through his chest. Felivetanis dropped to the ground, dead. Solas roared in rage and turned to face the enemies that had come to reinforce the previous group. He ran at them, bold and daring, to angry to think. His men followed him in a similar rage. He blindly slaughtered all in his path. His movements were no longer graceful, but were angry and vengeful. He swung is sword wildly, growling and grunting until each enemy laid slain at his feet. They walked back and picked up Felivetanis' body to bring it back with them. _

_The scene of the dream changed and he was in a beautiful garden. He stood by a small pond and watched the fish swimming in circles. "Ma unelana ema dinem," he heard her voice and felt her touch his cheek. **'Mythal' ** he thought. His mind reeled at feeling her presence once more, but the Solas of the dream turned away from her touch. She frowned at his action, "Mar solas ena mar din... ady ar tel athlanem ma?", she said angrily and walked out. He felt his blood boil and he punched the stone wall next to him, and felt the blood trickle down his arm. _

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Solas woke, and for a moment didn't know where he was. Everything felt strange, like the magic had been sucked from the air, his power with it. He felt like he couldn't breathe. He shot up from his cot and looked around. And then he remembered. He was no longer in the world from his dream. _'Crestwood', _he thought with a frown. Solas detested the Grey Wardens, for the meddled with things they did not understand, and were not powerful enough to restrain so instead they killed. He understood their necessity in this world, a world where he had taken away that power, and he realized he was more angry with himself than the grey wardens. He rubbed his head and sighed in frustration. 

He got up and made coffee and some breakfast and walked to Ellana's tent. _'What are you doing? Foolish old man',_ he thought to himself, _'Your course of action will bring death and destruction, and yet you court her? Why? To what end? It will only bring pain and suffering.' _

"Ellana?" he said anyway. "May I come in?"

He felt her aura stir from her slumber and reach out to his instantly, and his did the same. Like two magnets, it was automatic and natural. "Mhm," he heard her reply sleepily. 

He entered the tent slowly, giving her time to awaken. He saw her, sitting there on her cot smiling at him with a flushed face, her hair in a loose and messy braid."Mmm... I smell coffee." He smiled at her. She looked so innocent, so young.... and so beautiful. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head while handing her the cup. "Is it still raining out?" she asked.

"Yes, I fear it won't stop anytime soon," he replied.

"Ugh.... my hair is still wet from yesterday. It's uncomfortable."

"Here, let me help," he said softly as he sat on the cot beside her. His hands slowly traced over her hair, and he saw a little steam rising as the water evaporated. 

She looked at him sweetly, "Now where did you learn that?" She looked at the top of his head with a sly grin. 

"I've lived a long life," he chuckled. "You tend to pick up a few useful things along the way." 

She smiled as she crossed the room. She quickly washed her face and mouth, then brushed her hair. He watched her silently, enjoying the small things that she did. 

She walked back over to him as he sat there watching her. "What other useful things have you picked up?" she asked as she straddled his lap. He hadn't expected this, and he felt his whole body tense up. He moved hair from her face and placed it behind her ear, before leaning into her. She closed her eyes ready for this kiss, but he teased her. He brushed her lips with his ever so slightly, and traced her jawline with his finger tips. 

He spoke with a low, velvety voice against her lips, "Oh.... quite a few things." He felt her sharp intake of breath, feeling his hot breath on her lips. He wrapped his arms around her and stood up, with her legs wrapped around his waist. "Perhaps I shall show you sometime," he said as he set her down. He gave her a small and tantalizing smile. He let his hand linger on her wrist as he slowly walked away. He smiled to himself as he left the tent with the empty coffee cup, hearing her sigh. He felt her aura sparkle and felt its vibrations shake against his own stable aura. It was nice to know he hadn't lost his touch in his age. 

His body had betrayed him and wanted more, but his mind was stuck in the dream from the night before. He felt an aching in his chest, and a fog in his mind. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------

They left camp early that morning to go and find Stroud. It wasn't long before they came upon the undead. Iron Bull charged ahead, completely unafraid. Solas hated the man's culture, but had to give this individual credit. Iron Bull was more observant and intelligent than he let on, and was an excellent spy. And as much as that were true, he remained a trustworthy companion for Ellana. Solas hated that his personality, character, and talents were wasted in a civilization with no free will. The Iron Bull was a slave, and Solas knew deep down that he knew that too, and yet he refused to leave the Qun. It baffled Solas and angered him. It went against everything he stood for, everything he had ever fought for. 

Solas focused on the battle in front of him, and his mind flashed back to his dream the night before. He remembered Felivetanis' death, and the anger that surged through him. Solas felt his power surfacing and took it out on the 10 undead in front of them. He summoned a fist of stone from the fade and it slammed down on the undead, their bones crushing from the weight. Iron Bull hadn't even gotten a hit in yet. Solas noticed everyone look at him, and Iron Bull raised a brow, "Damn, Solas. Have you been holding back on us? Ten guys with one spell? You don't even look like you were trying." Solas hadn't really meant to kill all of them so quickly. He had to be more careful, more reserved. 

"I believe my spell casting has improved since joining the Inquisition," Solas answered in a reserved tone. "I'll try and leave some for you next time, Bull", he said trying to lighten the tension.

"...Yeah.." Iron Bull said, eyeing him suspiciously, "Thanks." 

"Well, I for one think it was pretty damn attractive," he heard Ellana say behind him. "You should show off next Bull," she said teasingly. "And you, Blackwall.... I could get used to this." She said as she walked to the front of the group, leading the way, 

"You got it, boss!" Iron Bull laughed loudly. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

The cave was cold and damp, but better than being outside. The Warden was a strange man, and he told them how all of the Warden's were hearing the calling. Ellana asked Blackwall if he also heard this calling, to which Blackwall responded, "I do not fear the calling." 

Solas and Blackwall raised an eyebrow at each other. That hadn't been an answer at all. And if every Warden was hearing this, Blackwall would have said something, if he was loyal to the Inquisitor. So, he was either a spy for the Wardens, or was lying about being a Warden. Solas had noticed that Blackwall seemed to truly believe in Ellana and her cause. It seemed he would follow her anywhere. Solas would be keeping a closer eye on the man from now on. 

They walked out of the cave, and suddenly a pack of wolves descended upon them. Solas threw a barrier over the group, and cast a few minor spells, not wishing to bring attention to himself again. After they had taken care of the wolves, the rested at the shore of the lake nearby. 

"Blackwall, there's something funny about you", the Iron Bull stated quietly. Solas glanced at Bull. Bull was cunning, and Solas was sure he came to the same conclusion about Blackwall, but was surprised he was starting this conversation with the man.

"Oh?" Blackwall responded.

"Yeah. You talk about Grey Wardens and honor and sacrifice and griffons, but you're still not convinced."

"Not convinced?"

"Yes.... _you know what I mean_." Iron Bull raised his brow at Blackwall and gave him a meaningful look with his one eye. 

"And you know this because?" Blackwall responded in annoyance.

"_I'm a people person", _ Bull responded. He was letting the man know that he knew. Perhaps as a warning? To let Blackwall know that he was watching him. Iron Bull gave Solas a meaningful look. So he knew that Solas knew as well. 

Solas glanced at Ellana. Solas and Iron Bull were trained spies. She didn't know about the man she trusted. She was watching the exchange with an amused look. Of course she knew... her gifts. She knew about himself, after all.

Ellana stood, and The Iron Bull looked at her with surprise not thinking she would catch the tone of the conversation, and Blackwall looked nervous. 

She didn't look at anyone, but rather looked out over the lake. "How's the Ben Hassarath these days Bull? I never really thanked you for telling us about that, being upfront. Helping us despite your past. You're a good man. I know that as a spy, you must know a lot about each of us, and you keep it to yourself. Everyone's past and secrets are their own, and you respect that. You're a spy, but your no snitch, am I right?"

"That's right", he said cautiously. 

"I really respect that... I really respect you." 

"Damn, thanks boss" he said, although he still eyed her suspiciously. 

"And what about you Blackwall? We've spoken often, and you seem very dedicated to our cause. It seems like you value those things that the Wardens value. Honor, sacrifice, redemption."

"I do believe in those things," he said flatly.

"And you believe in the Inquisition? Helping others, restoring order."

"Yes." 

"I respect that as well", she said, turning to look at them both. 

"We all have our secrets. They are yours to keep, or yours to share. I trust you both with my life, and I hope that you can say the same about me." 

"I'd follow you and the Inquisition anywhere, my lady." Blackwall said, full of emotion.

"I've got your back, Kadan." Bull said softly. 

She smiled at that, not expecting him to use the term of endearment. "And I've got yours. And yours, Solas." She turned to smile at him. 

She had managed to completely smooth over the entire situation within minutes. All while letting them know that she knew, and accepted the people they were. "Vhenan.." he whispered back. 

"Well, I'm starving. Back to camp?" She said lightly.

"I could use a good meal," said Blackwall standing to leave. 

Iron Bull hung back and whispered to Solas, "So she knows Blackwall isn't all he seems to be?"

"It would appear so." Solas responded shortly.

"It seems she might not be all she seems to be either" Bull said suspiciously. 

"I believe she is much more," Solas said in a reserved tone. 

"Does she know that you're more than you appear to be as well, Solas?" 

Solas slowed, "I beg your pardon?" 

Iron Bull quickened his pace and caught up with Blackwall and Ellana. He was certainly throwing around his weight today. Iron Bull might know that Solas was more powerful than he let on, but he didn't know the truth. The truth was so much more. Iron Bull's truth was that he was a spy. He knew things about people, it was his job. And Solas knew Iron Bull's truth. He was dangerous, if you didn't know that about him. Solas did not feel threatened. Iron Bull looked back at him, probably trying to see if he had rattled Solas, but Solas just smirked at the Qunari, making Bull all the more suspicious. The Qunari seemed to trust Ellana, so hopefully her trust in him would placate the Qunari's interest. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ma unelana ema dinem - you could have died  
Mar solas ena mar din - your pride will be your death  
Ady ar tel athlanem ma? - should I have not called you?


	14. The Forgotten Ones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *So, here is my running theory on the Forgotten Ones/The Old Gods/ The Blight  
I used information from the Wiki and in the Games. Let me know what you think! :)

The early evening chill settled upon the camp as the stars began to shine brightly. It had stopped raining for an hour or so, and they were thankful. Ellana had two letters in her hand. She looked around cautiously, making sure no one was around. The first was a request to Leliana to send Scout Harding ahead of them to the Western Approach. She wrote out - in code as Leliana had taught her - the details surrounding the Wardens' disappearance and their next steps. Ellana was uncertain of the results of this quest, and she knew that must mean she had an important decision to make. It made her nervous and cautious, as these things always did. She sent the letter with a Raven quietly.

She apprehensively looked down at the second letter, reading it one last time.  
  
_"I know of you and your goals, and how you are achieving them. I have told no one else, your secret is safe with me. Consider me your ally - I am certain that I can assist you. **Never Again.** ~Inquisitor Lavellan" _

She attached the letter to the Raven and whispered a name. The Raven flew off silently. Ellana prayed that she was making the right decision, and she prayed that she could be the bond between worlds that might just save them all. 

"There you are," she heard Solas say as he approached. "Your aura... it felt.. withdrawn. Is everything alright?"

"Yes," she said putting on a smile, "I just sent a raven to Leliana. Scout Harding should arrive before us and set up a base. We can leave in the morning." It would more difficult hiding things from him than she had realized, with her aura betraying her. Solas looked at her, searching her face. She felt as if he knew she hadn't spoken everything, but he smiled. 

"Then we should rest for the night," he kissed her cheek. "Goodnight." She felt his mana reach out and caress her in warmth, and she shivered. 

"Goodnight, Solas."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hawke and Stroud met them in the Western Approach by the old tower. "Hurry!" Hawke called out to them, they are starting a ritual!" 

They began running towards the tour, and Solas jogged beside her. "Blood magic.... I can feel it", he said quietly. 

When she saw Erimond, she felt her blood boil. She already hated this man. He was disgusting, and vile, and the worst of humanity. He told them how the Wardens were trying to preemptively kill the old gods before they woke, essentially stopping all future blights from happening. She felt Solas tense, and felt a cold magic emanating from him in his anger. She placed a hand on his arm, warning him so he did not reveal himself. She felt his mana retreat back within him, but his body remained tense. "That's madness! For all we know, killing the Old Gods could make things even worse!" Solas shouted at Erimond. But all Erimond cared about was the demon army. Then, Erimond set the mind-controlled Grey Wardens on them, forcing them to fight while he fled. 

Ellana looked down sadly at the bodies of the former Grey Wardens. "You had no choice boss, they made a bad call." She nodded her head, but said nothing. She slowly turned around, ready to leave this place behind her. 

"I believe he was headed for Adamant. It's a solid fortress, we'll need to plan our next move carefully", Stroud said. 

"Alright," Ellana said softly. "In the meantime, we'll regroup at Skyhold and plan." 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After traveling the rest of the day, they set up camp near the edge of the Western Approach. Ellana saw Solas go down to the river, and she followed him.

"We must stop the Wardens from carrying out this insane plan, Ellana. To seek out these Old Gods deliberately, in some bizarre attempt to preempt the blight!" 

"We will stop them, together Solas" she said calmly. 

"Thank you...." he said, as if he were surprised. "So, you don't agree with them then? I assumed most people here would go along with this plan, if they think killing the Old Gods will prevent future blights."

"I think if it has you this rattled, it probably won't work out the way they anticipate."

"And yet they continue down this path without knowing for certain... it's insane!" 

"Solas.... who are they? The Old Gods?"

"Your gift hasn't given you any information on them?" He sighed. "They are the Forgotten Ones, Ellana." 

She gasped, "What?!" 

"They were fools. They lived in the void... I... I used to walk among them Ellana." 

"You were a spirit of Wisdom?" she asked. "Sometimes... I forget just how powerful you are. You look like an Elven man, but you're not. It's easy to forget."

He sighed as he looked at her sadly, "I am, Vhenan. It's just not simple." He looked out into the water and spoke quietly, "Because I was a spirit that had not taken physical form, I could enter the void and live with the Old God as I pleased. They appreciated the wisdom and council I provided them early on. Their desire for more knowledge soon turned into a desire for power. They learned of a locked area of the fade, that they believed would give them immense power. They asked me to unlock it and give them this power, but I could see the corruption in their hearts so I refused. Eventually, I took a physical form myself and joined the Evanuris. But the Old Gods never forgot their mission, their secret purpose. Centuries passed, and eventually they tricked the Magisters into unlocking this power for them, and unwittingly released the blight. The Magisters were instantly perverted and turned to dark spawn."   
  
Ellana sat down, trying to process everything she was hearing. It was all so much... there was so much history had gotten wrong, so much they didn't know. 

"Once the blight reached the Old Gods, they took the physical forms of dragons, and entered the world, bringing the blight with them. It's driven them mad. They hold the key to this power.... and for all I know, if all of them are killed it might be completely unleashed upon the world."

Ellana stared at him in disbelief. He let her sit in her thoughts for quite a while. He sat next to her, and put his head in his knees. "They blamed you for it... the Evanuris... didn't they?" 

He laughed coldly, "Of course they did. They claimed that I had told them of this power, that I had brought it to them, like some sort of weapon."

"So why did the Forgotten Ones end up asleep deep beneath the ground? Why are they not up and about ruling a blighted world?" 

He looked at his hands thoughtfully, "I was almost not strong enough. I placed them in their cells deep beneath the earth, and used a stasis spell that put them to sleep forever." He looked at her with a deep sadness, "I couldn't kill them. Sleeping is as kind a fate as any, rather than being locked up with your madness for all eternity. I hadn't anticipated the coming of the Children of the Stone, how their tunnels and society would reach the Forgotten Ones, and disrupt the spells." 

"Damn, Solas...." she said softly. "Just.... damn." 

"We cannot let this happen. They cannot be slain, Ellana. I don't know what will happen if they are. And with the veil... with the world the way it is now... I can't stop them if they are released. I am no longer powerful enough, or immortal." 

She placed her hand on his cheek, "Solas.... this is not your problem alone. You don't need the weight of the world on your shoulders, that's not fair." 

"But it is, Ellana. I've created this world, I am responsible for the events unfolding. All of them. Corypheus, your mark, the breach, the Forgotten Ones. I may have even been able to prevent them from reaching the blighted power all that time ago, who knows." 

She shook her head, "You can't blame yourself for the actions of others, or not knowing what the future will hold." She rested her forehead against his, "And we will face this together. We will stop them... together."

He sighed and relaxed, "Thank you, Vhenan." 


	15. Enter the Fade

Solas sat in the rotunda, staring at the walls. He wasn't quite finished with his design for the next panel, but he found himself unable to focus. He hadn't planned on telling her about his past, he hadn't planned on telling anyone ever again. But he was so troubled after hearing of the Wardens' plans, and she knew so much already.... when it came to her he just couldn't seem to help himself. When she was near he felt his soul becoming bare. And now, in the rotunda without her, doubt was creeping back into his heart. He felt open and exposed, and it was uncomfortable. Part of him just wanted to give in.... let her in completely.... love her with his whole heart. But he knew, that if he did that than his mission would suffer. He would be more focused on her than his purpose. 

Suddenly he felt her aura, strained and tense running through the great hall. He heard the door open and slam shut. "Vhenan," she said slowly. "I..... I have something to tell you." She paced around the rotunda nervously, "It is difficult for me sometimes, to know what to share, and what to keep to myself." She looked at him and he saw the conflict in her eyes. "Knowing events that are to come.... it is tricky. If I reveal something I shouldn't, events can change. They almost always change for the worse. However, I believe I have this gift for a reason... I want to help people, Solas. I want to help you." 

He sent out his aura to her instinctively, enveloping her in warmth and calm. She took a deep breath and stopped pacing. "I tried to save someone before. Someone I knew was going to die."

This was serious. "What happened, Vhenan?" he asked.

"It worked, I saved them.... and there was a terrible cost. Someone else died because of it. Unknowingly, I had chosen one person's life over another's. I will have to carry that with me for the rest of my days." She continued pacing, "Of course, there is no way to know the consequences of my actions ahead of time." 

She stopped in front of him, and held his hands tightly. "If I do nothing.... the result will hurt you greatly." Tears began spilling as she said, "You've lost so much already, and I think I must tell you. I think we can stop it."

"Stop what?" he asked tensely. 

"Solas... it's Wisdom. You'll visit her when you enter the fade tonight, and right as you are waking up, you will hear her screams, feel her ripped from the fade into this world by force."

"No..." he whispered, feeling deep dread within him. 

"Solas, they're going to summon her and order her to kill. She will become corrupted.... we will break the binding, but it will be too late to truly save her." She stopped and held in a sob. "Is there a way that we can protect her? Prevent this from happening?" 

"Yes," he answered right away. "I'll go now." 

"I'll come too," she said, and he nodded. They sat on the couch in the rotunda, and sent themselves to the fade. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She followed him through the winding paths of the fade, but she could hardly keep up. There were paths that were overgrown or hidden that she would have never seen if she hadn't been following him. Finally, they reached an ancient structure that hung in the air. She looked up at it in awe, admiring the architecture and it's ability to exist suspended in the air. Solas waved his hand and suddenly a staircase appeared. They ran up the stairs and entered what looked to be like an outdoor library.

"Ma Falon?" they heard Wisdom say as they entered. 

"Ma ane tel'eth" Sols said urgently. 

"Thu?" Wisdom asked calmly. 

Solas reminded Wisdom of Ellana's gifts, and told her how there were a group of mages who would summon her soon. Ellana watched as Solas began casting advanced and complex spells expertly while speaking with Wisdom. He wasn't even truly focused on the spells, he just cast them naturally. Ellana watched as the air around Wisdom began to glow blue. She watched Solas create a tether from the energy in the fade and attach it to the blue aura surrounding Wisdom. He was completely focused on Wisdom, his face serious and stern, a slight crinkle in his brow from his simmering fury. 

Suddenly, they felt a strange energy all around them. The blue aura around Wisdom began to buzz and vibrate. Solas closed his eyes and slowly rose both his hands in the air, and was soon enveloped by the same blue energy. He connected his energy to the energy surrounding Wisdom. When he opened his eyes, a blue light emitted from them, and Ellana felt a terrifying all-encompasing power. She was scared. She had never felt or seen such power in her life, and she watched as the man she loved showed her just a sliver of the power he contained for the first time. 

Suddenly, Solas released the energy, and she watched as the blue from his eyes and his body shot outwards like a shock-wave. The force of it released whatever had taken hold of Wisdom, and the spirit collapsed to the ground. Solas opened his now grey-blue eyes and walked over to Wisdom. He knelt down beside her, "Ma ane son, ma ane eth", he whispered.

Wisdom looked up at him and smiled weakily, "Ma melava helani.... ma serannas." 

Solas rose slowly, and looked at Ellana. She was still frozen in place. She hadn't moved or made a sound. He saw the fear in her eyes, and his own softened. "Atishan, da'len. Ar tel ju'nuem ma", he said as he reached his hand out to her. She tentatively moved towards him, tears brimming. She ran to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face into his tunic. "Ar lath ma", he whispered as he kissed the top of her head. 

"Thank you, Ellana. A terrible fate awaited me if you had not told Solas about what was to come."

"I'm glad you are safe, Wisdom", Ellana said with a smile. "I'll leave you two to talk, I'm sure you are quite shaken Wisdom."   
  
Wisdom was about to speak but did not get the chance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ellana... Ellana..." Cullen whispered, poking her shoulder slightly. She awoke slowly, leaning her head on Solas' shoulder as he slept. "It is time for our meeting, we have a plan for Adamant." 

"Thank you, Cullen. I'm sorry I fell asleep. Let's go." 

They began walking through the great hall, and it was still quiet in the early hours of the morning. "How are you Cullen? How have you been?" she asked as they walked together.

"Fine, Inquisitor" he said out of habit. 

She stopped walking, "No, Cullen, really. How are you?" 

He stopped and looked at her questioningly. She gave him a knowing look. Cullen sighed, "I'm.... I've been better, Inquisitor. But I swear it won't effect my duties." She saw his brow furrow, and noticed the slight shake in his hands.

She walked closer to him, "May I?" she asked quietly. He looked at her nervously, but nodded. She sent out a restorative and soothing mana, and she felt him relax. She placed her palm over his forehead, and said a quick spell.

He gasped, "The pain... it's.. it's gone. Maker, how.... Thank you, Inquisitor." 

"Cullen, it's Ellana. We're friends."

"Ellana", he said softly. She placed her hands over his and said one more spell. She felt his hands warm under her touch, and felt them become more steady. 

"Please falon, come to me whenever you'd like. I can always help like this, it is no trouble or bother at all. You are the hardest working person here, and what you're doing for the Inquisition, for the soldiers here, well it's quite remarkable. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you, Cullen, truly." She smiled at him before reaching out for a handshake. 

He blushed profusely before taking her hand and shaking it. "Thank you, Inquisitor." As he took her hand, she leaned in and gave him a small, but heartfelt hug. She warmed his body with a small spell, and she felt him relax further. 

"Let's go", she said, and they walked into the war room.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

Ellana rode on her Hart, talking to the animal quietly as she rode behind the army approaching Adamant. She felt incredibly nervous. She had never walked into a battle of this magnitude, and she had never been responsible for so many lost lives that were sure to come. And even more, she had had many dreams leading up to this battle. She knew that she and her team were about to be truly tested, which is why she had chosen to bring her original team from Haven. They had been through so much together, and they were her closest family now. Not to mention Varric wanted to be anywhere Hawke went at this point. She felt Solas' soothing aura surround her, and her Hart snorted in contentment. Ellana chuckled, "It's quite nice, isn't it?" 

She watched as her soldiers tore the door down, and she felt a sense of pride in them. They were extremely well trained, and she made a mental note to tell Cullen when all of this was over. She entered with Solas, Cassandra, and Varric behind her. Cullen had told her that they would hold as long as they could, but their men were getting slaughtered on the battlements. She wanted to save as many lives as possible today, so she decided to start with that goal in mind. 

When they finally reached the battlements, it was covered with demons, not to mention two pride demons that had grown significantly. Hawke helped the soldiers further as she and her team advanced, and Stroud tied reasoning with his fellow Grey Wardens. Some of them even listened. 

Even with all the knowledge she had gained, she was not prepared for what she found when they entered the main atrium. They were sacrificing each other, believing that it was a noble thing to do. She tried reasoning with them, "I have spared your fellow Grey Wardens, and have no desire to harm you! See reason!" She shouted, but they were doubtful still. And finally, Erimond started revealing his true colors. And then, summoned the dragon from Haven. Ellana's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. There were so many people here that she cared about, and there were too many sources of danger. A pride demon, many other smaller demons, a dragon, and Erimond escaping. 

Once she made sure her people were safe from the pride demon, she took off running after Erimond. This was all his fault, and she hated him for it. She dodged the red flames of the dragon, sliding under them and jumping over debris with a silent fry. Her team ran behind her, and when they reached the destroyed bridge, she heard Cassandra gasp at the sight. Warden Commander Clarel was furiously backing Erimond to the edge, and suddenly, the dragon reigned down upon her and snatched her up in it's jaws. Ellana ran forward to keep Erimond pinned and the team followed. 

She had foreseen small segments of their journey in the fade, but knew not how they came to be there, but when the bridge crumbled beneath them, and they began falling to their death's, the mark seemed to act of it's own accord. And then, they were there. She opened her eyes, and knew it had all come true. They were in the fade. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ma ane tel'eth - you're not safe  
thu - how?  
Ma ane son, ma ane eth - You are well, you are safe  
Ma melava helani.... ma serannas - You helped me, thank you  
Atishan, Da'len - peace, child  
Ar tel junuem ma - I will not hurt you


	16. Dirthara

No one was exactly thrilled to be there. Well, except for Solas. Ellana may have been a bit excited if she didn't feel responsible for everyone there. Solas' eyes sparkled and she felt his aura reach to hers and crackle with excitement. He looked at her, as if to say, 'I've got you, don't worry', and she relaxed a bit. He warned them to stay alert, and began walking forward more confidently than the rest. They walked into a large clearing, with a small alcove to their right with a few demons, and a much larger area off to the left.

"Hawke and Stroud, go with Cassandra and Varric and start exploring that area over there. Perhaps we can find something useful, or at least gain some information about where we are and how to get out. Solas and I will take care of these few, and look into that glowing area."

They nodded and headed out. Ellana walked up to Solas, wrapping her arm around his and interlocking their fingers. "I would be excited if I wasn't terrified" she chuckled. 

"Don't worry ma lath," he said as he gave her a quick kiss, "we'll figure this out. As a mage, we can access our powers smoothly here."

"Hopefully that helps then," she smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder. They walked in silence and closeness as they approached the demons. They felt each other's auras mingling lovingly, and Ellana felt butterflies in her stomach. Solas looked behind him, and they were now out of sight of their companions. He gave her a strange smile, and transformed before her eyes into a wolf. He ran, his long black fur and muscular frame made her smile. She cast a barrier around him and focused. She focused her will on the feeling she got when she transformed in the fade as a dreamer, an suddenly, she transformed. She ran after Solas and gave him a soft bark as she ran past him and tore into the closest demon. They made quick work of it. She walked up to him and nuzzled her face against his and into the long fur on his neck. She felt a deep rumbling from his chest. 

They transformed back quickly, making sure not to be seen by anyone else. It was their secret. And it dawned on her that they lived a secret life all to themselves that no one else knew about. An ancient Elvhen immortal, and a Dalish oracle, both shapeshifters, and falling deeply in love. Their auras crackled and sparked with the thought, and he walked up to her confidently and took her by the back of the neck and kissed her passionately. They broke the kiss and began walking towards the glowing object, but their auras remained intertwined and charged. 

"What is it?" she asked, and she bent down to inspect it. 

"Here, try placing these there," she took the random items and placed them like an offering. She heard a 'clink' sound and felt a spark of something, like a gift. She felt slightly stronger. "I believe we are helping lost spirits that were victims here. And perhaps you are receiving something in return?" 

She nodded, "There are a few others here, I can feel it. Hopefully we can help them all along the way."

They returned to the large area and the others were returning as well. They all agreed that heading towards the rift they saw in the sky in the distance might be their best bet at returning, and headed in that direction. Suddenly, a spirit appeared in front of them.

"I greet you, Warden, and you, Champion", the spirit said.

"Divine Justinia?" Cassandra gasped. 

"Is it the Divine, or a spirit?" Varric asked.

"Most likely a spirit, I fear", Stroud said.

Ellana glanced at Solas, but he remained quiet. The divine went on to tell Ellana that the nightmare demon had taken memories from her, and she would need to get them back. Demons suddenly appeared, and the group fought them off easily. With each demon they slew, a memory returned to Ellana. While Ellana remembered everything that her gift provided while she was in the fade, she didn't remember how she had gotten there in the first place, or how she escaped, and slowly as the advanced these memories returned. Each member of the group saw the visions that she saw, and it was soon discovered that the Divine had sacrificed herself so that Ellana could escape. Ellana looked down in despair, she had never wanted anyone to die for her. Especially the Divine. She imagined that Cassandra must hate her, and she stole a glance in the woman's direction, but Cassandra had her focus on getting out of the fade.

"Do you think you can fight me? I am your every fear come to life!" the demon taunted, "I am the Veiled hand of Corypheus himself. The demon army you fear? I command it. They are bound all through me!" 

"Ah.. So if we banish you, we banish the demons? Thank you, every fear come to life", the Divine said smoothly and the Nightmare growled in anger. Cassandra and Varric snorted, and Ellana grinned at the spirit. 

"So, we have a mission", Ellana said, happy to have something to work towards as a team. She felt Solas' cool touch of his fingertips on her skin, and she felt his calm mana surround her. She felt much more confident than she had a few minutes ago when the Nightmare had been taunting them with their deepest fears.

Suddenly, the winding trail turned into a large overhang that looked out over the sea. They walked along the shoreline, and saw another group of demons, after they finished Ellana noticed a small graveyard near them. She curiously peered at the names, and gasped. All the names of the members of the inner circle of the Inquisition. They each found their own name and shuddered. Ellana slowly read each member's name, and what appeared to be their greatest fear. Everyone.... except Ellana. And she realized it was the worst of all. Nothing she did mattered. Her visions, her efforts to help and make the future better.. none of it mattered. She did nothing to help, nothing worth mentioning. Her life wouldn't even be worth remembering. She saw Solas glance at his own and walk away quickly. She walked up to it and read, "Solas - Dying Alone". She followed after him and saw him leaning on his staff, looking out at the sea. She grabbed his arm with one hand, and turned his head with the other and kissed him deeply. She forced her aura and mana to surround him with warmth and love, and she felt him smile slightly against her lips. They walked back to the group, and she saw their shell-shocked faces. 

"Don't forget, this is the Nightmare demon's doing. These are your worst fears, not your truths. You are all doing something for the sake of every soul in Thedas. You are all brave and brilliant, and cared for. Let's go kick this demon's ass and go home." 

"You got it, Shiny!" Varric said with a smile. Cassandra nodded and looked like she was ready to punch a hole in the demon right then and there. Ellana squeezed Solas' hand with her mana, and marched forward. 

They continued forward, and there it was. The biggest crab-spider thing she'd ever seen in her life, with a large revenant protecting it. They battled the revenant bravely, taking large amounts of damage. Ellana an Solas were constantly casting barriers between offensive spells, and were tiring quickly. Solas covered Cassandra and Varric, while Ellana covered Stroud and Hawke. With the demon caught between them, they worked together brilliantly. Finally, it fell to Cassandra's sword. "Go! Quickly, through the rift!" Ellana shouted as they all ran. Ellana, Stroud and Hawke were right on the other three's heels. Right after Cassandra, Varric, and Solas jumped through the rift, the giant monster stepped in front of the rift. 

"Look out!" Stroud yelled as he pushed Ellana and Hawke out of the way. 

"What do we do?" Ellana shouted. 

"I will stay behind to distract it, Ellana, Hawke, run!"   
  
"No! Stroud, the Warden's need you to rebuild, I'll stay!"

"There's no time!" Stroud yelled back. "GO!" 

Ellana pulled on Hawke's arm, she looked to Stroud. Her eyes screamed sorrow and regret, and his tried to give her a peace right before he ran underneath the demon, attempting to do as much damage as possible. Ellana pulled Hawke through the rift. The two of them turned around, waiting, hoping beyond hope. But Stroud never emerged. After a few minutes, Ellana rose her hand and closed the rift. She dropped to her knees, attempting to control her emotions so that she could address the growing crowd of people. She felt Solas' hand on her back, and he knelt down to help her up. "Ellana", he whispered, "I thought I had lost you when you weren't behind me." His eyes watered, but he swallowed hard and took a step back to let her speak. Ellana thought of everything Solas had told her about the blight, and the threat they faced. If she exiled the Wardens, they were out of her control and reach, and still suseptible to Corypheus' influence. They were still a risk. 

"Stroud believed the Wardens were worth saving. Wardens, you have much to make up for. Your crimes were great, so your deeds must be greater."

Ellana saw the disbelief and anger on her companions faces, especially Solas'. 

"We will not fail you, thank you Inquisitor!" one of the Wardens said. 

Solas walked up to her angrily, "After everything I told you! After all they've done!"

She looked at him defiantly, "Yes." He glared at her, and she glared right back. "Especially after what they've done. You think I'm going to send them far away to where we can't keep a close eye on them? So that they can work without supervision towards killing the Old Gods? So that they can be influenced by Corypheus rather than us? " The other companions heard the anger in her voice and began listening in. "You know what they say, Solas. Keep your friends close,"

"And your enemies closer", Varric said with a small smile, shaking his head. "Smart, Shiny."

"It will still be difficult to work with them," Cassandra said bitterly. 

"I agree. But as the Inquisition, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard. And we must hold them to one as well." She looked back at Solas. "I hope you can understand", she said more softly. "Organizations are corrupt, but the individuals who sacrificed everything for a greater cause, maybe those men are good. And if they're not, we'll weed them out." He gazed at her without emotion. She shook her head and began to walk away, but felt his hand around her wrist. She looked back at him.

"You're right, Vhenan. You have excellent reasons. I apologize for my outburst. It feels... personal." 

She squeezed his hand with hers, and brushed his face with her aura gently. 

She turned to face her friends. "Now.... let's go home", she said with a sigh. And they all whole-heartedly agreed. 


	17. Ar Lath Ma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *NSFW - Smut warning*

When they finally returned from Adamant, they were exhausted. The trip home was quiet, full of sorrow and confused feelings. Cole felt them coming, and met many of them at the gate. Ellana watched as he went from one to the next, and as they left she could tell they didn't remember speaking with him, but they smiled slightly or felt lighter somehow. Then he got to her. "Hello Cole." 

"Adamant was hard" he said back.

"Yes, but it was good we were there to help."

"Yes" he replied quickly. "Can I ask you something, Ellana?"

"Of course," she said as she smiled kindly. 

"Vivienne says that I'm much like the demons you fought at Adamant, that I can't be trusted. But Varric says I am more like you all now, more like you than the demons. He calls me kid and smiles. What do you think? You see things, know things, future selves. What am I?" 

She looked at him with compassion, "You are you Cole. You aren't like us, or anyone or anything else. You are unique, and special." She placed her hand on his shoulder, "It's o.k. to be yourself, even if no one else understands what that is. You are Compassion, you are good, and you are my friend." 

"You help the hurts, too" he said softly.

"Good", she whispered back. 

Solas had been watching the interaction and smiled. 

"You understand me... like you understand him. He worries. Memories, piling up, spilling over, old things need saving. He was like me once. And now he's not. Now, he's like you, but not."

"He is unique as well, yes", Ellana said with a smile in her voice. 

"My heart," Cole said softly, and quickly disappeared. 

Solas walked up to her and locked his fingers in hers, before kissing the top of her head. "I was wondering," Ellana said peering up at him, "if perhaps we could spend some time together tonight. Perhaps visit someplace peaceful."

"That sounds perfect," he said looking down into her eyes. He already had a few places in mind. 

"But first," she said softly, "a bath." 

His laugh was like music, "Yes, that sounds good."

"Will you meet me in my quarters when you're done? I have a tub in mine."

"Lucky you," he said. "And of course. Meet you there." He watched her dance up the stone steps, and he gazed up at the stars before heading to the rotunda to clean up. Once he was done, he walked through the main hall and up the stairs to her quarters. He knocked on the door gently, and heard a 'come-in!' faintly. He walked up the last few steps and saw her standing by the fire, drying her hair with a towel. She had a long white shirt on that went just a few inches below her butt, and the shadows from the firelight danced on her sun-kissed skin. She was absolutely stunning, and he felt a tightening in his gut, and butterflies in his chest. 

She turned to smile at him. "Is there anywhere you'd like to go this evening?"

"Yes!" She said excitedly. "I was wondering if you could take me to a library. Perhaps you could teach me proper ancient elven?"

"It would be my pleasure," he said warmly. 

"And perhaps we could visit an ancient ruin, someplace beautiful", she said dreamily. 

"I have a place in mind", he said gently.

"I figured you might," she laughed softly. She sat on the bed and scooted under the covers, then patted the bed beside her.

"I could sleep on the couch if that makes you more comfortable," he offered.

She raised an eyebrow at him, "And miss the chance to be near to you? I think not." He laughed, and took off his leg wrappings, then slid underneath the covers. She cuddled up next to him, and lightly kissed his cheek. He took her face in a hand and kissed her again, a little less gently. She gazed into his eyes, "See you soon, Vhenan." And she rested her head on his chest and fell to the fade.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When he awoke in the fade, he found her waiting for him in her wolf form. He quickly transformed and ran to her. She nuzzled him, and he found that he was growing to love that. He led the way, and before they knew it, they stood in a large outdoor library, filled with trees and moss and millions of books. She transformed into her elven self and stared in wonderment at the books. "Is this the beyond, the afterlife? It's absolutely amazing!" she said excitedly, and he laughed with joy.

"I felt much the same the first time I visited this place. I wish it were still standing. This way," he said as he headed to the east wing of the building. "There are many books on languages here, and I have just a few in mind that will help you easily pick up on some finer points of 'ancient' elven. And here are a few that speak of Arlathan, the way it truly was. It was beautiful." 

They sat together for an hour or two, speaking of Elvhenan. He taught her the ancient language, and she picked up on it quickly. "Our people sometimes can understand it, and pick up on the nuances very quickly. I think you could speak it very easily, you already are doing quite well."

She smiled up at him, "You are an excellent teacher, Hahren." He blushed slightly and brushed her hair behind her ear. "Solas, you must miss Arlathan. You must miss how things were." He looked down at the ground. He had to tell her. He couldn't move forward with her, without her knowing. It could ruin everything. "Do you need to tell me something?" She looked at him, noticing his aura changing. 

"Vhenan, I do miss it. This world... it's... it's not right."

"And you plan to fix that" she stated plainly. He looked at her quickly. "Well, you know that I know about your orb, Solas. I know of what you had planned to do. And I know you, and that you wouldn't give up so easily."

"That's right," he said quietly. "Vhenan, this world.... it will burn in the raw chaos once the veil is gone. The world, the people of this world, they don't know how to cope in that kind of setting. It..... it will destroy everything you know." 

She took his face in her hands, "Solas.... I believe in you. I believe that we need to tear down the veil, and restore The People. And I believe, that with my help, we can find a way to do this. With or without the orb. And.. saving the world I care about, or at least the people in it." 

He shook his head, "Vhenan, I'm uncertain whether anyone but elves can survive in such a world." 

"Then we use our new-found power to help them, to the best of our abilities. Either way Solas, I'm with you. We're in this together. You aren't alone."

He looked into her eyes, "Vhenan, I fear you don't realize exactly what you're signing up for. I.... I might not survive it either. The path I've chosen is dark and dangerous... how could I possibly have you join me in that?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Maybe I won't survive either Solas. But you try and save me, and I'll try and save you. It is unwise to walk such a path alone. Let me help you Solas, please. For you, and for me, and for The People."

She was offering him so much. Her very life if needed. And not just for their own sakes.... she believed in his cause. She believed in a better world. She wasn't going to abandon him when the going got tough. "You don't need to make promises Solas, we can just agree to try. I'd rather have you now and love you, than to give up now out of fear." She was far braver than he. "Besides, you're kind of stuck with me for now," she teased, waving her marked hand in the air. 

He took her hand in his, "No Vhenan, I'm blessed with you." He leaned down and kissed her gently. He took the book from her other hand and placed it back on the shelf. "Would you like to visit another beautiful place?"

"That would be lovely," she said as she stood. The top of her head only came up to his neck, and he rested his chin on it. He changed the scene around them, and they were suddenly standing near an ancient Dwarven ruin. 

"Is this Dwarven?" She asked in awe, "We're outside?" 

"Yes," he said, "The ground has eroded and shifted overtime, revealing parts of the original structure." They were in the middle of a green forest, and the stones were covered in vines and moss. Behind them, there was a quiet pond with a small waterfall, and above the pond the stars shone brightly. They sat on a moss-covered stone near the pond, and felt the warm summer air caress their skin as they leaned against each other. 

"What was this place?" she asked. 

"It was a place of quiet reflection. Many came here seeking divine answers, and many came here just as a retreat from strife and loss. A spirit of peace dwelt here, and gave the visitors peace and calm. All who came here left with lighter and happier hearts, and they never knew why." 

"I never thanked you properly... the battle occurred so quickly, and I was distracted by our journeys to the fade.... you helped me save my friend."

She leaned her head on his shoulder, "I'm so glad she's alright. My dream was terrible... I just couldn't let that happen to her."

"I've lost almost every friend I've ever had. She is one of the few that remains from before my sleep. She has seen all that I have been through and provided council over the years. I would.... I would have been devastated."

"You have lost so much, Vhenan. I hope to save you from that kind of pain as much as possible."

"Thank you," he whispered quietly, as they continued to gaze at the stars, seeing a few fall from the heavens. "I thought I had lost you... at Adamant. When we came through the rift, you had been right beside me. And when I came through, I couldn't feel you anymore... you're aura. I...." his voice broke, "I would have gone back into the fade, would have found you, brought you back to me. Loosing you... would..." he found he couldn't finish, so he kissed her instead, deeply and passionately. 

"I'll always come back to you," she whispered. "Ar lath ma, Vhenan. Your soul, your spirit... all you have ever been and all you have ever done has led you to me. I will always love you", she said it softly, reverently. He looked into her eyes and saw truth, saw her baring her soul to him. He felt her reach out with her aura, and he let her. He let her in and he reached out in return. He accepted her love, and her adoration even if it was misplaced, and he gave her love and adoration right back.

"Ar lath ma," he said as he kissed her nose. "Ar lath ma," he kissed her forehead. "Ar lath ma," both cheeks. "Ar lath ma, Vhenan" he said again as he kissed her lips reverently. He poured his love into her through the kiss, and their auras began to intertwine as they had before. He ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her head closer as he deepened the kiss. She threw her leg over top of him and sat on his lap facing him, and continued kissing him. He leaned back against the stone pillar, and she pressed her body into his. Her hands ran up and down his tunic, and eventually underneath his tunic. She felt his warm skin and the muscles of his chest. She felt the muscles of his stomach twitch and move under her touch. He began kissing the hollow of her neck, and lightly groped her breast with his free hand. She moaned slightly at his touch and he shivered. He kissed her wetly, exploring up her neck and ear, nibbling at her earlobe, sighing in her ear as she caressed his sides and scraped her nails lightly across his skin. 

"Ar nuvena ma, Solas" she breathed out, and he stopped and looked into her eyes. He felt a twinge of guilt, the guilt that never seemed to go away. But she knew him, truly knew him, and yet she still wanted him. Wanted this... He lightly tapped her forehead, and followed her to where he sent her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They awoke in her bed in Skyhold. "Why did we wake? Did I upset you? I shouldn't have.."

He put a finger to her lips, "Ar nuvena ma, ma Vhenan." She blushed, but gazed into his eyes. He felt her press her body against his. "Isalan hima sa i'na" he said hotly against her neck as he leaned on top of her.

She groaned heavily as she felt him press against her, and she felt his need for her. "Ver em, Solas. Sathan." She pushed his tunic up, and he rose up slightly so she could take it off of him. He watched her gaze at him in lust, and he felt himself harden against her. He had held back for so long, hadn't even believed he could be with another again. Having her beneath him like this, having her beg him to join with her.... it was more than even he could fight against any longer. He leaned back down into her and kissed her hard, and they felt their auras spark and ignite. The shocks it sent along their bodies left them reeling. He felt her reach out with her mana and touch his hardness that rested against her, and he shuddered. 

He reached out with his mana in turn, and he felt the heat rising from her beneath his ever growing hardness. He breathed icy cold air on her neck right before licking her teasingly, and she convulsed slightly beneath him, bucking up into his erection. They both moaned at the feel of it. He unbuttoned her shirt slowly and tantalizingly and slowly slipped it from underneath of her, throwing it to the floor. He breathed cold once again onto her exposed nipples and kissed her breasts, groping them with his hands.

He slowly kissed down her abdomen, breathing heat as he went, caressing her with his mana. He felt her aura grip at his tensely, with anticipation. He looked up at her hotly, "Ar isala ava ma." He continued kissing her, until he reached her and gingerly and lightly touched her folds with his fingertips. 

She gasped, "Solas, I've... I've never..." He looked at her, and suddenly felt truly old. 

"Ir abelas," he said, quickly removing his hand. She grabbed it quickly, and returned it it's position on her.

"No, Solas. I'm telling you this, because I want you. Because you need to know that you are special to me. Ma sarannas, ma vhenan." He leaned up to kiss her lips, and bit her lip before pulling away to return to where he was.   
  
"Ar ju'su'lema ma mor neral, dir'vhen'an", he said in a low sensual voice. "Dirth em ahn ma aron", he whispered as he slipped a finger inside of her.

She let out a small cry and her back arched off the bed. He could tell that she was sensitive to his touch already, and he felt his erection grow harder. He kissed her folds and inserted his tongue inside of her as well. She was breathing heavily, and moaning quietly and reverently, bucking her hips into his mouth. He rubbed her bead with his thumb in small circles, and she cried out his name, grabbing the sheets of the bed tightly. 

He continued like this, listening to her moans and moving his finger in and out of her more quickly. He inserted a second finger, and she bucked hard into him. He felt a sweet spot deep inside of her and moved his middle finger against it each time he went inside of her. She lifted her hips into his face, and he once again rubbed the sensitive bead with his thumb while he licked at her. He felt her loose herself around his fingers, she inhaled sharply before crying out his name again. He kissed her thighs and stomach, and laid on top of her.

She smiled at him lovingly, before quickly flipping him over so that he sat against the headboard of the bed, and she straddled him. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and began kissing and nipping at his neck. He moaned as she sensually kissed and bit at his sensitive ears, and bucked up into her. She felt his erection and gasped. She started grinding against it as she continued kissing and licking his neck and ears, and he couldn't help but rise his hips up into her. She slid down his body and began undoing the laces on his breeches. She slid them down his legs, and removed his smalls. She inhaled sharply at the sight of him, large and hard and waiting for her.

She took him in her hands, and rubbed her thumb over his sensitive head, wiping the small beads of wetness down the length of him. She began pumping him slowly, and he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the bed. He hadn't felt anything like this in so long, and he had never been loved like this. He wanted her so badly. He felt a sudden wet and warmth surround his length and he gasped, his eyes shooting open. He watched as she took him in her mouth, and bobbed her head up and down the length of him. He moaned loudly, and pushed his head against the bed again as the pleasure took him. He needed her. He needed to be inside of her.

"Isalan hima sa i'na, Ellana. Isalathe ma, mala" he tangled his hand in her hair and guided her head down onto his length one last time, before pulling her up to him. He kissed her mouth, exploring her tongue with his. They were filled with hot breaths and wanting, and he could feel and hear his heart beating in his chest. 

He gently flipped her and laid on top of her again, letting his erection rest on her stomach as he kissed her. They kissed passionately, enjoying the feeling of each other's tongues with soft bites. He was propping himself with one elbow, but his free hand caressed her face as they kissed. She used one hand to feel the muscles in his arm, while she let the other one glide down his torso until she grabbed his length, and began pumping it again. He moaned into her mouth, and she felt him twitch in her hand in anticipation. She took him and slowly glided his length along her wet heat, and he growled pushing against her with need. She slowly guided the tip of him into her, and he began pushing into her ever so slowly. He felt her wet warmth wrap around him, and felt her walls stretching for him. 

"You're so tight, so perfect," he breathed into her ear. "Ma sildeara ir on" he practically sang as he entered her. 

She moaned sweetly as she stretched for him, and he filled her completely. "Oh... Solas..." she breathed out in a happy sigh. He buried his face into her neck as he pulled back out of her slowly.

"Aghhh.." he said in perfect sweet bliss at the feeling of her walls pulling against him leaving her. He began a slow and sweet rhythm, and she wrapped her legs around his torso and gripped his shoulders tightly. He heard her breath leave her in puffs each time he entered her, with the softest of moans. He felt her walls twitch around him, and he grunted into her neck. He began entering her much faster, and he heard her moan his name in ecstasy. He rolled and pulled her so that she was on top of him and he remained inside of her. She placed her hands on his chest and began riding him slowly and sensually. He let her set a slow and forceful rhythm, grunting each time he reached her end with his length.   
"Ma diana em gasha" she breathed heavily as he groped her bouncing breast. He moaned hearing her say this, and lifted his hips up into her. She cried out as he entered her more deeply. She fell forward and grabbed his shoulders for support, lightly digging her nails into his skin. She began bouncing her ass hard against him as she rode him faster. He gripped her ass tightly, feeling her walls squeeze his cock as he did so. He inhaled sharply from all of the pleasure, leaning his head back and rising his hips up into her. She kissed and nipped at his neck and ears again, and he felt himself loosing control. She was incredible... everything about her was incredible... but the feeling of her, her aura filling him with love, her incredible warmth and tightness, the sounds she made for him..... 

He flipped her over onto her back quickly, and lifted her legs so that they wrapped around him again. He pounded into her with everything he had. "Vin, Solas! Elvar'el.... sathan!" she cried out, he felt her walls begin to squeeze around him and he knew that she was loosing herself as well. 

"Isalan dara su tarasyl i'na" he said into her ear, and she moaned loudly.

"Yes... Solas... ohh..." she said into his chest, gripping him tightly.

"Isalan gara suin na," He growled into her hair. 

"Isalan ma gara suin em," she moaned. He felt her walls contract around him as she came, and he felt her aura spark and ignite and fill the room, and he felt completely surrounded by pleasure. 

His aura responded to hers, and it brought him over the edge. He pumped into her a few more times, and came to his release. He moaned and grunted with each wave of his seed and pleasure. His hips pumped slowly into her as he released, and she held him tightly in her arms, as he breathed heavily into her hair. "Ar lath ma," he sighed feeling the final bit of his release as his cock twitched inside of her, "i ga ar ame". 

He pulled out of her slowly, and shuddered as he felt her walls twitch around his sensitive head. He felt her mana caress his balls with a calm and soothing magic, and he relaxed into the pillows. She rested her head on his chest, and ran her hand along the muscles in his abdomen and arms. 

"Ma ane ma' ga" she said softly. "Ar lath ma, Solas."

He kissed the top of her head as he traced small circles on her back, "And you are mine, Vhenan." 

They drifted to sleep peacefully, listening to the sound of the crackling fireplace, and the slow and steady breaths of the loved one in their arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ar nuvena ma - I want you  
Islan hima sa i'na - I lust to become one with you  
Ver em, Solas. Sathan. - Take me, Solas. Please.  
Ar isala ava ma - I long to taste you  
"Ar ju'su'lema ma mor neral, dir'vhen'an - I will give you great pleasure, I promise  
Dirth em ahn ma aron - tell me what you like  
Isalathe ma mala - I need you now  
Ma sildeara ir on - you feel so good  
Ma diana em gasha - you fill me completely  
Vin! Elvar'el... sathan! - Yes, Solas! Harder... please!  
Isalan dara su tarasyl i'na - i want to go to the sky with you (I want to orgasm with you)  
Isalan gara suin na - I want to come inside of you  
Isalan ma gara suin em - I want you to come inside of me  
Ar lath ma, i ga ar ame - I love you, with everything I am  
Ma ane ma' ga - you are my everything


	18. Mien'harel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW - Smut alert  
(Just a little extra at the beginning for ya!)

Ellana awoke to the sun shining through her stained glass windows, and the air shimmered and glowed. She felt the warmth of his arms around her, and smiled remembering their night together. She peered up at his face, more peaceful than she had ever seen it. She watched him for a time as he slept, marveling at just what he meant to her. The Dread Wolf was in her bed... and she loved him. When she had saw parts of his past in her visions, she knew that she loved him. She knew that her heart ached for him and longed for him. But she had no idea just how much she would love him, she had no idea what the pull of his aura would do to hers, or what it would feel like to find her soulmate. She knew him so well now, and she knew that when he woke, the feeling of doubt and guilt would cloud his aura. She wished that she could stop it. Maybe she could?

She reached out with her mana, and sent warm tingling sensations to his lower regions. 

He stirred slightly, and mumbled in his sleep, "Ar lasa mala revas". She smiled at his mumbling in his sleep and almost giggled. "Atishan, da'falon.... ma ane.. eth min."

She sent small vibrations along with the heat, and he stirred further. "Theneras, somniari" she whispered. 

He grumbled something further, and she felt his aura return to consciousness. She felt his arms tighten around her, "Ar nuvena tualatha, ma vhenan", he said in a deep grovely voice. He opened his eyes slowly, as she began to rub her hand against the bulge in his smalls, and a small smile spread across his lips. "Ahnsul ma sul'ema em min?" He grinned. 

"Because I couldn't help myself to you, sal'lath" she whispered as she began kissing his ear. "You're far too handsome to leave alone, I'm afraid." She quickly wrapped her hand around his length, rubbed his tip with the fingers of her other hand, and began pumping his length.

The suddenness of it made him inhale sharply, and he let out a low moan as he shut his eyes tightly. "Ahhh... Ellana..." he said, his fingers gripping her tightly. He was so sensitive upon waking up, and she felt herself becoming slick at the sight of his pleasure.

"Ma ane telamdys palasha, Ellana" he growled as he bent his head down to kiss her, reaching his hand between her legs and running his fingertips along her slickness. Before she even knew what was happening, he had spun her around so that he was spooning her. He reached around and inserted his finger inside of her, and she let a small cry escape her. She felt his cock, the heavy weight of it hard against her butt, and she grinded into it. He moved small circles around her sensitive pearl and she felt her wetness on his fingers. 

She felt him reach down and pump himself a few times before moving himself to her entrance. She rose her ass into him, whimpering. "Sathan.... Solas, ar isalathe in em" she whimpered. He slid the large head of his cock against her slick folds, and they both groaned. He guided himself inside of her, and she whimpered. She was once again surprised by his size and girth, and felt herself stretch. She heard his grunting and it fueled her fire. Their auras were already pulsating and made the whole room feel electrified. She sent her mana to his balls, and she felt the heat of them against herself. He was pumping in and out of her, and when he felt her mana caress him and send fire through his veins, he began to lose himself. He pounded into her, and she felt him fill her completely, felt him stretching her and complete her, reaching the deepest parts of her. He bit into her neck, and she cried out again. She heard herself saying his name, over and over again, but it felt like someone else was saying it. She felt his mana nip at her skin, tug at her nipples. She felt his hand reach around and press against her heat, his thumb moving in small circles around her enlarged bead. This pushed her to the edge, and she felt her aura surge through the room as she climaxed. 

He pulled her so that she was lying on her back, and he was on top of her quickly. He entered her again, as he leaned down devouring her neck letting his body push into hers, using one arm to raise her leg above him, and he suddenly was even deeper inside of her. He pressed a hand between them and grabbed her breast roughly. She moaned in his ear, and she ran her hands over his smooth muscles. He grunted as he fully sheathed himself within her, and pounded into her, fast and hard. His pace became erratic, and she knew he was close. She sent her mana to him, wildly attacking his senses, sending small sparks along his neck and a slow burning warmth to his length. "Aghh... Ellana!" He said more loudly, and she felt him pulse and throb inside of her. He collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily into her hair. 

She felt him slowly begin to kiss her neck as he recovered. "What a wonderful way to wake up," he said with a laugh. "Ma serannas, Ellana. That was... unexpected."

She giggled, "No, thank you!" She held the back of his head and neck with her hand, keeping him close to her. "You are... blessed", she said, giggles still escaping her, "I am lucky indeed."

She felt him nip at her ear, "Ar ame shathe ma ane sathem."

She sensually kissed along the slim ridge of his ear. "You are so beautiful", he sighed.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

Ellana bent down to look at the plants she had been growing. The garden was beautiful in the moonlight, and she felt the magic of Skyhold in this place. She enjoyed visiting this late in the evening, because there was no one else around, and it was peaceful. She thought of Solas. Of his smile as they got dressed that morning. She thought of the small spots of blood on her sheets, and how he kissed her sweetly as she blushed. '_I will treasure the gift of you, forever.'_ She thought of his lingering touch as she left him in the rotunda. Of how his aura followed after hers. She still felt strange in her lower regions, stretched out and bare, her knees still feeling weak. 

She sat on a bench and looked up at the stars, smiling.

"Inquisitor", she heard a quiet voice say from the shadows. A small elven woman stepped out to greet her. She was dressed in a cloak and hood. "I thought it best to visit in person, seeing as how your letter said you had not told anyone of me." 

"Briala," Ellana said softly. "Thank you for meeting with me." 

"Your letter was... unexpected. And vague." 

"Yes. But I spoke the truth. I know of your plots and your Elluvians. And I would like to propose an alliance."

"Between myself and the Inquisition?"

"Between the two of us... personally. I know of you because I posses a gift that allows me to.... know certain things others can not. I have resources that would allow me to help you. Especially at the upcoming ball at the Winter Palace." 

"And what do you get, from this _alliance_? Why risk yourself in this way? You seem to be quite successful at the moment." 

"Because I believe in your cause. I want to join your fight. As the Inquisitor, I will be attending this ball. The game requires that I assist Celene and Gaspard with their... differences. I know what hell they both put you through." 

"What do you know, exactly?" Briala asked pointedly, without dropping her mask of confidence. 

"In the spirit of honesty and cooperation, I will tell you very specific details so that you can believe me. I know that you were faithful to Celene. That you were friends since childhood, and lovers for many years. Until she burned the city elves you had fought to save, in order to save herself from Gaspard's tricks. And then you found out that she had your parents killed when you were just children." Ellana saw Briala's face change ever so slightly as she heard her secret past revealed to her through a stranger. "The Shems have lived at our expense for far too long. We have suffered, starved, and died for far too long, Briala. Your plan to use the Elluvians to extend their civil war, and slowly build up our people is brave. I understand your feelings towards Celene, but there is a plan to assassinate her at the ball. If Gaspard takes the throne, it will be like taking five steps backwards. He will be far worse to the Elves than Celene. You know that she still loves you... still works towards helping the Elves, even now."

"You have a gift, you say? It is quite impressive." Briala looked into Ellana's eyes, searching her for truth. She looked at some flowers nearby. "You are Dalish, are you not? In my experience, the Dalish have no wish to help city elves. We are not your people." 

Ellana responded thoughtfully, "In truth, I don't really consider myself Dalish anymore. This is my home. The people here are my family. Even the Shems. And in my eyes, all Elves are my people, and I wish to see them restored and prosperous. I wish to see our children in safe homes with full bellies. Is this what you want Briala? Because if it is, we should be working together."

"I will think on it, Inquisitor."

"Ellana," Ellana responded quickly.

"I will think on it then, Ellana. How should I contact you in the future?"

"There are a few elves here who can be trusted. You can send word with them."

"And what should I call you? I dare not write "Ellana" on the envelope."

Ellana looked up at the moon. She thought first of her old name, Oracle. It didn't seem to quite fit her anymore, like an old tunic she had outgrown. "Fen'Telban". _The White Wolf._

\------------------------------------------------

Two days had passed since her secret meeting with Briala, and she had yet to hear anything from the woman. Ellana was nervous. Nervous about going through with this plan alone. Nervous about keeping this from Solas. But she must keep this secret, the future depended upon it. His future depended upon it. Her visions had made that much clear.

"Maybe there is a way", Cole said, appearing out of thin air. "Maybe there is a way, and you could tell him."

"I can't take that risk, Cole," she said firmly. "Don't tell him, please."

"He would want to know. He wouldn't like it. Future swirling, changing, secrets of a far off future. And there's no way to know for certain if there's another way that will work?"

"No", she replied flatly. 

"I don't like it either", he said sadly.

"I'm sorry, Cole. Truly," Ellana said softly.

"You're sad too. And scared. You don't like it either."

Ellana wanted to change the subject. Her mind started to ache with the truths she was still avoiding, the truths she was still denying. 

"Will you help me train, Cole? I'd love to get better at hand to hand combat. And you are so quick!"

"Yes", he said and disappeared. Ellana looked around confused, and he suddenly reappeared with two daggers for her. "It will help you."

"Make sure you don't actually hurt her, kid!" Varric called out, leaning against the fence. "I'll sit back here and enjoy the show!" He said, winking at Ellana.

"Yeah, no stabbing Cole" Ellana laughed, "But don't go easy on me either! Teach me how to defend, and then teach me some attacks."

Cole nodded, and suddenly disappeared. Ellana searched around frantically but saw him no where. She felt a dagger at her back. Varric began laughing uncontrollably, "Good luck, Shiny! You're gonna need it!"

\-------------------------------------------------------

Ellana walked up the steps to her room, very slowly. She was tired and sore, and still pretty frustrated. She thought maybe it would be better learning to defend against someone who didn't make people forget their very existence. At least she had learned some good attacks. She felt fairly confident in her ability to Parry, and a move Cole had called 'Twin Fangs'. 

She was about to change out of her sweaty clothes when she noticed a package on her desk. There was a piece of paper pinned to it, with _Fen'Telban' _written in neat script. The back of the paper simply said, _Mi__en'harel, saron'_.__ "Rebellion, together'. So.... Briala had accepted her alliance. She untied the parcel and found a white fur cloak, with part of a wolf's head as the hood. It was beautiful, and terrifying. She placed it in the bottom of her bag. She knew exactly when she would be using this, and she suddenly felt a rush of excitement and adrenaline. She was ready. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ar lasa mala revas - you are free  
Atishan da'falon, ma ane eth min - peace little friend, you are safe here  
Theneras, somniari - Awaken, dreamer  
Ar nuvena tualatha, ma vhenan - I want to make love to you, my heart  
Ahnsul ma sul'ema em min - why gift me this?  
Ma ane telamdys palasha, Ellana - you are so damn sexy, Ellana  
Sathan.... Solas, ar isalathe in em - Please... Solas, I need you inside of me  
Ar ame shathe ma ane sathem - I am happy you are pleased  
Fen'Telban - White Wolf


	19. Il Segreto

Ellana looked down the long table at her friends. They were drunk and happy, and she smiled to herself as she listened to one of Varric's stories. She could still hear Sera giggling under the table. She hadn't stopped since Cullen told the story of the naked recruit. She wasn't sure how much Sera had drunk so far, but she had seen at least 5 tankards get magically stolen from the table. "And that's how he suckered that poor bastard out of half of his land!" Varric exclaimed, setting down a few more coins on the table. 

"No Shit!" Bull roared in laughter. 

"I would have loved to have seen the look on his face!" Josie laughed, "But I will have to settle for the look on Cullen's face after he is forced to remove yet another article of clothing."

"We'll see about that, ambassador!" Cullen challenged. Josie placed her cards face up on the table, and Cullen's face turned a deep shade of red as his eyes widened. 

"Maker..." he whispered.

"C'mon, Commander! Show us your tits!" Bull roared. 

"No, the breeches, the breeches!" Sera yelled from under the table. Cullen clearly hadn't realized she was down there and he jumped away from the shouts. 

"I may decline the next round" Cullen said nervously.

"You're in too deep, Curly! You've already placed your bets", Varric said as he placed down his cards as well.

"Andraste's ass!" Cullen said in an exasperated tone. 

"That's two!" Iron Bull shouted. "And I believe that's all he's got left!"

"Bree-ches, bree-ches, bree-ches!" Sera chanted from under the table. 

"You did enter into this agreement, Commander. I believe you should keep to your word", Ellana teased, holding back her giggles. 

"Oh for the love of the Maker," Cullen said angrily as he took his shirt off. "Sera, I swear to the maker you best not peek."

"You're not exactly her type, darling", Dorian said in a sassy tone. 

"Annnnd... now the walk of shame", Varric said. But Cullen stayed rooted to the seat. 

"It comes off? I didn't know it could do that!" Cole said, and everyone erupted in laughter. 

Ellana joined Varric by the fireplace, back turned, and Cullen made a run for it. She glanced at The Iron Bull who gave the air a solid victory fist pump. 

"I had wanted to speak with you two anyway, since you're both still here. Have a minute?" The men nodded, and Ellana grabbed two more beers for them. "Let's say, that hypothetically, I have a mission. But I need it to stay off books."

"Is this a nightingale mission?" Varric asked.

Ellana looked at them seriously, "No. It is an Ellana mission. No one else knows. Not a soul."

"And me," Cole said, hanging from the staircase. 

Ellana sighed, "And now Cole." Varric chuckled. "There is an Inquisition mission at the Storm Coast coming up in a couple of days, and I'd like to take the three of you with me. But before heading back, I'd like to take a little detour. The mission is dangerous, and must remain a secret at all costs. If you're not comfortable keeping this from the team, I understand, but I won't speak anymore of it."

"This isn't like you, Shiny. Why all the secrecy?" Varric asked.

"Because there are some things I can't do as the Inquisitor. But I still have personal dreams and beliefs. But the Inquisition can't have a hand in this. It could damage our reputation and relationships. But I trust you three with my life. I know that you know how to keep a secret to protect innocent people, and that's what I'm asking of you." 

The Iron Bull was suddenly very sober, and she had a feeling he had been the whole time. "You can count on me, boss." 

"You're going to help them. I'm in too", Cole said.

"I don't like keeping things from people, especially Cassandra these days. You know where that got me last time." Varric said, giving Ellana a knowing look.

"You were protecting your friend, Varric. Cassandra forgave you. And really, there was nothing to forgive. You're a good man with a strong conscious. But I understand if you don't want a part in this."

"Nah, you know me Shiny. Always looking for trouble. And I've always got your back." 

"Thanks guys, I knew I could count on you. I wouldn't ask if it didn't really matter. Since you're all in, I'll tell you the details." She looked around the Tavern. Even Leliana's spy had left for the evening after watching the drunken and naked fiasco unfold. She whispered her plans to them, and they began to strategize. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ellana, Varric, Bull, and Cole had traipsed up the Coast towards Highever, through the cold and rain. Darkness had fallen over the city, as they snuck through a secret entrance to the Alienage. They would have been more inconspicuous if Bull wasn't towering over the rest, so instead of sitting in the warm dry bar, they sat near the back wall, listening for intel. 

_"It's getting worse. Endrial lost a child just last week. We can't feed our children" they heard a man say._

_"I would rather my child die from starvation than that the atrocity that happened two weeks ago", a woman responded._

_"What's worse than loosing a child to starvation?!" A man replied angrily._

_"You didn't hear? Gelassan found a child being raped in an ally by a Shem noble prick. He tried to save the child, and was killed the next day for it. For harming a noble, they said. No mention of the Shem raping and killing the child of course, though."_

_"It's that damned orphanage. The Shems run it of course. Our little ones in that place like a prison, only to be sold out of it to the highest bidder. Either to be a slave, or to be raped and murdered. It's not safe. Elia died last week from some sickness, and the Shems came and took her child to that place. I would have took the poor thing in me'self. She would have been better off running for it." _

"Shit, boss. It's worse than we thought. If our intel is right, there's about 50 kids in that orphanage. How are you gonna convince everyone back at Skyhold?" Bull asked quietly.

"I'm not", she said coldly. "We're bringing them back, Bull. We have to. We have the space. Renovations on the towers are almost complete. This orphanage is the worst one. It's a death sentence to every child in there. The others at Skyhold will just have to deal with it."

"Cullen's gonna have a heart attack." Varric said gloomily. 

"We're all going to have to pitch in", Ellana said.

"It takes a village, I guess", Bull replied. 

"It's time", Cole said. 

"Are you sure?" Ellana asked.

"Yes. The gaurds are sleeping. The ones on the inside can't remember where they put their shoes. _Cold, raining, fuck it_." Cole said.

"Uhh.... Ok, I guess", Bull said nervously 

They crept up the stone steps. Cole, Varric and Bull wore black clothing, with stealth hoods. Ellana wore black clothing, and her white wolf cloak, her staff lighting their path slightly. They rounded the final corner and came upon the unthinkable. 

A human man stood over a young elven boy, ripping the boys clothes off. "Don't worry knife-ear, you'll be dead soon.... Shut up or I'll cut your throat!" he said as the boy whimpered and cowered in fear. 

Ellana felt a rage unlike anything she had felt before. The air around her crackled with electricity and heat, and a power surged from her. Her cloak floated around her body, as did her hair, and she saw the air around her glow. The human man looked back, feeling the menacing air around him, and looked in horror at the hooded figure in front of him. Ellana roared in anger. She twirled her staff high in the air, and slammed it down on the ground. The man was struck by a giant bolt of lightening that killed him instantly. The elven boy, looked at her in awe. 

"We're here to save you from this place. Gather as many children as you can and bring them here. We'll make sure everyone gets out safely. You're coming home with us."

The boy looked at her with a shocked expression. "Now!" Bull shouted, and the boy scrambled off and back into the tower. 

Ellana began running stealthily, her cloak streaming behind her. She looked like a white wolf, stalking it's prey. Varric and Bull stood back, watching the immense power that poured from their leader. She was careful not to ever reveal her marked hand keeping it in her cloak, and holding her staff in the opposite hand. Cole appeared out of thin air. "They are all heading towards that meeting place. There is only one left, upstairs with the guards. They are beating her. I can't get them to stop by myself", Cole said in a rush as they ran up the stairs.

Bull charged and the door busted open. The humans looked up in shock, and Ellana twirled her staff once more high in the air, and when she slammed it to the down each of them turned to solid ice. Bull swung wildly, and hit two of them with one swing. The humans crumpled to the ground. Varric hit the other two with a single shot, and they staggered back. Cole appeared from thin air behind them, and they were down quickly. 

There was an elven girl tied to a chair in the middle of the room. Her face and arms were bloodied and swollen, and she looked up at them with one good eye, before passing out. Bull ran forward and cut her bindings, before swiftly lifting her up in his arms. 

They ran back out to the meeting spot, and saw about large group of Elven children standing, terrified, in the rain. 

Ellana's hood hung low on her face, and they trembled as The White Wolf spoke to them. "We know that you have been treated terribly by the humans here, and we came to rescue you. There is a place that is safe, a place that is hidden from the world. You will be fed, cared for, and loved. I promise you this."

The first elven boy from the Courtyard stood tall, "How do we know you aren't bringing us to another orphanage?" He said courageously. "How do we know you ain't lyin'?"

Ellana kept her face hidden, but rose her hand in the air, and with her magic she created a small flower. She handed it to him, and said softly, "Because we're bringing you to the Inquisition. We want to bring you home." The smaller children gasped in delight, but some of the older ones looked at her cautiously. "Please," Ellana said softly and tenderly as she looked up slightly, just enough to let the boy see her face and no one else, "We just want to help you." 

The boy nodded, and some of the younger kids ran to her and hugged her knees. "Let's go", Ellana said softly, and they ventured out through the secret hole in the fence, and disappeared into the night. 


	20. Homecoming

Ellana dredged through the mud and the muck, longing for a break from the rain. Crestwood was proving little better than Highever, but she felt relief when she saw an Elven man with a familiar marking waiting for them in the exact spot she had planned. 

"Who's up ahead?" Bull asked cautiously, still holding the little girl in his arms. 

"That, is our contact. He will take the children from here and bring them to Skyhold. If we bring them back ourselves it will be too suspicious, and everyone will know that the Inquisition was responsible for these actions. No one can blame us when we take in lost children who appear on our doorstep." 

"Damn, Shiny. I was wondering how you were going to explain all this, but you already had a plan. Are you sure you trust this guy?"

"Yes, he's a contact of a trusted friend. My friend wouldn't send anyone they didn't trust." The man had seen them coming and had begun preparing a large wagon, large enough to fit all of the children so that they could ride the rest of the way to Skyhold. Even the trek from Highever to Crestwood had been too far for many of them. 

The boy they had first rescued in the Alienage held back, as the rest climbed into the wagon. "Athras", Ellana said quietly placing a hand on his shoulder, "You have shown great courage and leadership amongst the other children. Look after them until you reach Skyhold." 

Athras had a brave look on his face as he nodded, and turned to join the others. He hesitated, looking down at the ground. "Thank you", he said softly.

Ellana pulled him close and wrapped him in a hug. He stood stunned for a moment, but then quickly hugged her tightly. She let him go, and without looking up at her he ran off to the wagon, and she could see his ears turning pink. 

"If we ride quickly, we should make it to Skyhold soon" Bull said, and Ellana nodded as she mounted her Hart. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

They approached the gates of Skyhold and Cullen was waiting for them. A few of the stable hands took their mounts, and some of the grounds staff took their belongings.

"Inquisitor!" Cullen said loudly as he approached, "We feared for your safety! You are many days delayed in your return. Is everything alright?"

Leliana had appeared beside them as well. "It is highly unusual for my agents to be unaware of your location. What happened?"

"We took a few extra days on the road. The weather was absolutely terrible, and we figured we had some days to spare. We're sorry to have worried you. I hadn't thought you would be so worried over just a few days", Ellana said casually. She was already feeling the familiar pull of Solas' aura, like they were calling to each other after being apart. 

"It was not merely the few days, but my agents inability to locate you", Leliana said in a strained voice, glancing at Varric and Bull. Cole had disappeared already. 

"You all should know by now, how much I hate trekking around in the muck. And why are there tree roots everywhere? It's ridiculous", Varric chirped. 

"I've been telling you to just get longer legs for ages now," Bull boomed, as they began walking towards the tavern. "C'mon Boss, you owe us after dragging us through that. I don't think my clothes will dry out for weeks!"

"What clothes?!" Varric laughed. "Last I checked you were mostly naked 100% of the time." 

"Are you sure everything is alright?" Leliana pressed. 

"Yes, of course Leli! I would tell you right away if something was wrong. You're the only one who can get us out of trouble, after all!" Ellana laughed as she poked Leliana with her elbow. "I'll buy you that drink later tonight, boys!" She shouted after them, and they waved back. 

Ellana felt Leliana staring at her as she walked up the steps of Skyhold. She walked slowly through the main hall, enjoying the warmth and the fire, before taking the first door on the right. She could smell books and paint as soon as she opened the door. She had hardly taken a step through the threshold before she felt arms wrap around her waist and pull her close, and she was consumed with a passionate kiss. She felt one hand at the back of her neck tangling through her hair, and another cup her cheek. "Vhenan", he breathed as he broke the kiss. "Where were you?" 

"I was at Crestwood, why is everyone so worried?" 

"Leliana tracks every movement that is made. It is how she keeps everyone safe and stays so well informed. She lost track of you, and she was extremely concerned. So naturally.. I... well I was worried about you." He rested his forehead against hers. "Why were you delayed?"

"The weather was awful Solas, I'm sorry that I made everyone worry. Especially you. But everything is o.k., and I'm finally back with you."

Solas looked at her, his eyes burning into her, searching her face. He shook his head, "as long as you're safe." She looked around the rotunda. 

"Solas, it's beautiful.... stunning... you've done so much while I was away."

"It.... kept my mind busy.... I..... I missed you", he said as he began picking up his brushes.

She watched as his ears turned pink, and she stepped over to him. "I missed you too," she said as she slipped in front of him and wrapped herself around him, burying her head against his chest. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ellana waited on the bench once again in Skyhold's garden. 

"Everything is going according to plan. The children will arrive tomorrow", a voice said from the shadows. "Briala sends her regards, and her thanks."

"Tell her that no thanks is necessary."

"She has also sent me to work here in Skyhold, if you would permit it. As someone that you can trust." 

Ellana knew at least as much about the game that this person was Briala's agent first and foremost, but at least she would be able to have someone that could help her communicate with Briala, and any others the White Wolf would need to contact. "Thank you..."

"Laisa, your worship".

"Thank you, Laisa." 

"Has Leliana cleared you to be on staff here?"

"Yes, Inquisitor. She is extremely detail oriented and thorough."

"She most certainly is. I had a difficult time evading her men trying to get to Highever, and found it difficult explaining my two-day delay. We will have to think of a way to get around this in the future."

"Briala has sent some ideas along. Also your worship, have you heard of the bandits that are terrorizing a small group of Elves outside of Orzammar?"

"I had not... and so close to Skyhold. We should look into this. I have a couple of weeks until the Ball. Perhaps I should take some time away from Skyhold to clear my head?"

"Yes, your worship. I've left the details on your desk", Laisa said with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! It's been crazy, but I'm glad to be back to writing. :)


	21. Halamshiral

"You're going in _that?" _Dorian asked, appalled. Ellana looked at him pleadingly. She didn't like it anymore than he did. _"_Why on earth are we wearing military uniforms? It's completely unnecessary. She'll be a laughing stock."

"And do you imagine she'll be able to hide clothes for sneaking around the castle and weapons underneath a sheer dress?" Cassandra interjected. 

"Please, I know tailors who specialize in this sort of thing. In fact, I invited one here this afternoon." Dorian said smugly.

"You what?" Josie said in a gasp. "I wasn't informed of this. I'm not sure if this will work Dorian." 

"Give the man an hour, and then you'll see. Oh Jacques! We're ready for you!" Dorian called out towards the hall. A short, round, balding man stepped through the door, his mustache twirling as he smiled. 

"What a lovely figure! All of you are so put together... this will be easy Dorian!" Jacques said cheerily. 

Jacques took measurements and began spinning around Ellana in a dizzying display of frivolity. He twirled around Ellana, and wrote down each detail. A few elves came in the room with crates and he began sifting through fabrics. "Ah, this will do nicely!" he said as he lifted a sheer royal blue fabric out of one crate. "Ah, and this... and this of course." Dorian stood watching over the man's shoulder nodding in approval at each choice. 

Jacques began making a quick sketch, and Dorian beamed. "That will be perfect. And you know of the... specialties we're looking for?"

"Quite", Jacques huffed. "Alright everyone, leave me be for a couple of hours. You won't be disappointed. Once you've approved the Inquisitor's dress, I will design the rest of her party."

"He seems quite sure of himself", Josie said in a hurt tone. She had also suggested dress, but was quickly shot down by Cassandra, Leliana and Cullen. She supposed she should have went to Dorian, but he had overridden their decision anyhow. "Well, Inquisitor, it's time for your lesson. Since this room is occupied, we'll have to use your quarters if that is alright."

"Of course, Josie." Ellana said. Josie looked at her with a surprised face. Josie knew that this whole thing made Ellana uncomfortable. This was putting a Dalish Elf far from her comfort zone, but the Inquisitor handled it like she handled everything else. With grace and determination. Ellana wanted to do her best, and Josie admired her for it. They walked up the stairs to her quarters, and saw Solas out on the balcony. "Excuse me," Ellana whispered to Josie. Josie nodded politely, and began speaking to the dance instructor. He was a kind man, with a small frame and a graceful demeanor. She eavesdropped on Ellana and Solas while she spoke with the man. She had quite the skill at picking up on behaviors and conversations without being noticed, and she was very curious about the two elves on the balcony. 

"Please... stay," Ellana said as she lightly touched Solas' hand. 

She saw Solas smile ever so slightly as he chuckled softly. Josie couldn't recall ever seeing him smile or laugh before. It changed his entire presence, and yet it suited him. "Alright, Vhenan."   
_'Vhenan?',_ Josie thought. She would have to find out what it meant. She would ask Leliana later. If there was something between the pair, Leliana would know about it.

"Alright, I'm ready. Thank you for waiting." Ellana said with a smile. Solas leaned against the door frame to the balcony and observed. 

"Good, good!" The dance instructor said with a light wave of his hand, "Alright my dear, first things first." He taught her how to gracefully approach the dance floor with a partner, how to curtsy or bow, and how to maintain eye contact throughout the movements. They started with a simple waltz, and he corrected her hand placement and her footing. Ellana caught on quickly, as Josie had suspected she might.   
  
They moved on to a slower paced tune, and the dance instructor pulled Ellana's waist closer to his. Josie glanced at Solas, and noticed no change in his demeanor. The pair danced slowly and sensually, and Ellana looked as if she had done this before. "Marvelous!" the instructor called out, "have you done this before?" Ellana shook her head no and blushed. "Wonderful! You will be ready in no time. We have another lesson in two days, and I suggest practicing as much as you can. I believe that's all for today, Josie! We have to let all this settle before bringing more new things."  
  
"Thank you so much monsieur, truly" she said with a small curtsy, extending her hand to him. "That was wonderful, you are truly a masterful teacher. We look forward to seeing you in two days time!" The man smiled almost seemed to leap down the stairs gracefully. Josie turned to Ellana, "That was splendid, Inquisitor. You are a natural." 

"Thank you, Josie, do you really think so?" Ellana said breathlessly. 

"Of course! But you will need to practice. Shall I arrange a partner for you?" Josie said. Would Solas take the bait?

"Uh... well.." Ellana stammered, uncharacteristically.

"I would be happy to assist, Ambasador", Solas said in a velvety tone. The way he spoke, almost convinced her that he could be a player of the game. She almost laughed aloud, but kept a polite face. 

"Oh? Are you well versed in Orlesian dance?" Josie said in a polite tone. 

"Perhaps you would like to view a few dances and decide?" Solas said in the same tone as ever. 

"Oh, what a treat!" Josie said, "I'm sure it will be wonderful." She sat on the couch. "Will you play a waltz, Monsieur?" She asked the musician. 

Solas approached Ellana, one hand behind his back. His back was straight and his posture was perfect. Josie had never noticed, but Solas was tall. Much taller than Ellana. How had she not noticed the man's height before?

He gracefully held Ellana's hand and waist and began to dance to the music. Each step was perfect, and he twirled Ellana around the room, leading her through each swell of the music. The couple looked perfect together, as if nothing else in the world existed outside of their dance. Josie beamed. "Perhaps something a bit more...passionate?" she whispered to the musician. She looked at Josie with a knowing smile, and began playing a new melody. 

Solas tugged at Ellana's waist, and while they were close, he held her loosely and comfortably. Solas seemed completely comfortable and aware. He now _looked_ as though he played the game, and as though it wouldn't matter if Ellana had two left feet, he could lead her around the room effortlessly and make it seem as though she were a professional. Ellana however, did not have two left feet. She danced capably, and began to visually relax as they danced. This could definitely work. Solas glanced at Josie, and Josie nodded enthusiastically. 

And then he changed the style of dance. It was unlike anything Josie had seen before. Was it Elvhen? Their bodies were much closer together now, and they moved together sensually. She noticed Ellana's face blush as she peered into his eyes, and he looked down into hers with confidence. Josie felt her face flush. _'Goodness',_ she thought to herself. She had never been attracted to Solas before. Ellana was exceptionally beautiful, but Solas just seemed to escape her notice. But watching the two dance? She realized that she was finding them both equally attractive. She had never noticed how tall he was, or how smooth his skin was, or the deep blue shades in his grey eyes with their serious expression. Yes, they were both very attractive. Especially the way he moved, and she responded. The music began to slow, and Solas twirled her out, and back into him, leaning over top of her as he dipped her down low. He took a hand and caressed her face, right as the music ended. Their was a charge in the air, Josie could feel it. The moment of silence was palpable. Then, she began clapping enthusiastically. 

She put up a hand as the couple rose to face her. "Yes.. um... yes that.... goodness," Josie said flustered. "The instructor will be very pleased," she giggled.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ellana entered the gates of the Winter Palace, feeling more nervous than she had in ages. As soon as she entered, she heard the whispers.

_"A knife ear? No, that can't be the inquisitor. There's no way."_

_"Ugh, disgusting. How unpleasant. That either Celene or Gaspard would turn to an Elf? They must be desperate."_

_"Beyond desperate, I'd say. It's ridiculous."_

Ellana walked past the group quickly, only to overhear another. Her human companions didn't seem to hear.

_"A fucking knife ear? As the leader of the Inquisition? What a joke."_

_"It's disgusting."_

_"I could do some pretty disgusting things to her though. Look at her. For a knife ear that is. Maybe I could gain an audience later, eh boys?"_

The rest laughed, and continued joking. She felt Solas' aura behind her. It burned, and crackled. She glanced back at him and unless you looked into his eyes, you wouldn't have known he was angry. His eyes were dark and spoke murder. Her own aura began to deflate and darken. He felt his reach out to her. It felt soothing, and she began to feel better. She thought back to the beginning of the evening, when she walked out of her room in her gown and approached Solas. She wore a silk and sheer royal blue gown. The small sleeves fell loosely behind her arms, and it fitted her form perfectly, before spilling down to the floor. Little did anyone else know, that with the pull of a few strings and buttons it was converted into a top and pants, with slots for two daggers and a potion. Solas had looked at her as though he had never seen something so beautiful, kissing her deeply. She would treasure that look for the rest of her days. 

"Ah, Inquistor!" Gaspard said loudly. Ellana internally rolled her eyes as she began the conversation. Little did Gaspard know, or anyone else for that matter, that she was here not only as the Inquisitor, but as Briala's true ally. If anything had solidified her convictions, it was the hateful humans at the gates. She hurried through her required conversation with Gaspard, and headed towards the palace.

Josie stopped her at the entrance. "Are you ready, Inquisitor? This won't be easy. I do hope that the party behaves themselves. It might not seem like it, but how we present ourselves here is life and death." 

"They understand Josie, it will be ok. We'll stay vigilant." 

"Alright then, let's enter." 

Ellana's mood didn't improve when they introduced Solas as her 'Elven serving man'. This time, her aura crackled and sparked with anger, and she felt Solas' soothing presence yet again. 

Ellana began by walking about gracefully, a small smile plastered to her face. She nodded towards her party, and The Iron Bull, Solas, Varric, and Cullen headed towards their assigned locations to gather intel, inconspicuously. Ellana overheard a few interesting conversations. She knew, that the best way to get the intel she needed was to listen to the servants, for they were the eyes and ears of the palace, whether or not they were acknowledged by the court and nobles or not. She gathered that something wasn't going according to plan, and even heard them mention Briala. Of course, the Elven servants are loyal to her.   
  
She heard the bells, and slowly walked towards the ballroom. "Well, well. What have we here?" Ellana heard a woman say behind her. She turned, and noticed a pair of piercing, yellow eyes. She had seen this woman in a vision. Everything was a blur, but the eyes she remembered clearly. This woman was complicated, and Ellana was weary of her. 

"I am Morrigan. Some call me adviser to Empress Celene on maters of the arcane. You... have been very busy this evening, hunting in every dark corner of the palace. Perhaps you and I hunt the same... prey?" she said in a sly tone. "Recently, I found and killed an unwelcome guest within these halls. An agent of Tevinter. So I offer you this, a key found on his body. Where it leads, I cannot say. And if Celene is indeed in danger, I must remain close to her, and therefore cannot search.... but you can."  
  
"I believe I know just where this may lead. I will search." Ellana said carefully.

"Proceed with caution, Inquisitor" Morrigan said as they entered the Ballroom. "Enemies abound, and not all of them aligned with Tevinter. 

She found Cullen, Josie, and Leliana. "I would suggest siding with Gaspard," Cullen said. "His strength and military expertise could reunite Orlais, making it more stable." Ellana looked out over the Ballroom. What none of them realized was the Gaspard openly admitted that he would once again rage war on Fereldan. He was no man of peace, and he was no friend of elves. Celene had gone as far to invite an elf to be a scholar at the University. She had at least tried. She would strive for peace. And then there was her personal alliance with Briala.

"Celene is the rightful Empress. Why not back her as such?" Josie said quietly. 

As she saw her party in the ballroom, she gave them a knowing look, and headed back out. They followed, one by one, slowly after her. Each followed her to the door mentioned by the servants. As soon as they entered, they were greeted by dead elves. She felt her blood boil, yet again. Why was it always elves? She looked at Solas in desperation, and he looked at her knowingly. She felt their aura's mingling, and she felt his aura ever so slightly brush against her hand. 

They began hunting down enemies, and the trail began to clearly lead to answers. They were easy enough to eliminate, and Ellana was feeling more and more anxious with each encounter. One man began to flee, and as she chased him around a corner, a knife flew through his skull. Ellana stopped short, and watched as Briala walked calmly around the doorway. "Fancy meeting you here," Briala said with a small smile. 

Ellana gave her a quick warning look, and glanced back at her party. Solas looked at Briala curiously, and then back at Ellana. Ellana quickly faced Briala. "Shouldn't you be dancing, Inquisitor? What will the nobility say?" Briala said mockingly. 

"No doubt, there is a line of people breathlessly waiting for dances with me", Ellana said sarcastically.  
  
"I wouldn't be surprised if there was," Briala said walking towards the window. "You've cleaned this place out. It will take a month to get the Tevinter blood off the marble. I came down to save or avenge my missing people, but you've beaten me to it. So.... the council... that's not your work is it?"

"He was dead when I arrived", Ellana said.

"Hmmm... you arrived with the Grand Duke, but you don't seem to be doing his dirty work", Briala said cunningly. "I knew he was smuggling in chevaliers, but killing a council emissary? Bringing Tevinter assassins into the palace? Those are desperate acts. Gaspard must be planning to strike tonight." 

"Celene must be warned," Elana said. 

"You can try... but she won't believe anything from me," Briala said with a hint of annoyance. "I misjudged you Inquisitor... you might be an ally worth having. What could you do with an army of elven spies at your disposal? Your Inquisition should think on it. We can help each other... we are both outsiders here afterall. I'm sure you'll be a part of the winning team. And if you happen to lean a little bit our way? It could prove advantageous for us bot. Just a thought." 

Briala already knew that was Ellana's intention. They both did. But, if they were to play this off, it had to seem as if this was a new offer, and a chance meeting. Ellana and Laisa had discussed this in depth. If Gaspard made his play tonight, they could catch him in the act. But neither of them had suspected Tevinters. Something was missing from Briala's intel. And that was what had Ellana so worried. 

Briala jumped down from the balcony and disappeared into the night. "Every single major player has tried to bribe you tonight. In Orlais, that means you've officially arrived", Varric laughed. 

Ellana looked back at them with a grin. Everyone smiled back, except for Solas. He looked at her with a straight face, and Ellana felt as if he was working things out in his head. How? They had played it perfectly. There's no way he could know. She was letting things get to her. The subterfuge of the evening was in her head. Their aura's still mingled and reached for each other, and she relaxed. 

\------------------------------------------

They rushed back to the ballroom so as to not appear suspicious. Right as Ellana thought she would have a moment to breath, a strange looking woman approached her. "I am Grand Duchess Florianne De Chalons. Welcome to my party." The woman gave a small curtsy. 

"Is there something I can do for you?" Ellana asked. And then, the Woman did the thing Ellana had wanted her to do least. She asked her to dance. Honestly, at this point in the evening, Ellana would have preferred to have a knife drawn on her for a good fight. Dancing? She internally groaned as she agreed. This was clearly a crucial moment in the game. She thought back to her dance lessons and began the game of the dance. Florianne blabbered on about things Ellana already knew about, but she needed to make sure her responses were timed and worded perfectly. While trying to also dance gracefully and skillfully, it proved more difficult than she had imagined. She tried answering the questions with other questions or by flattering Florianne. She realized that everyone else had left the dance floor and was watching them. She dipped Florianne low, and the court applauded loudly. 

So, Florianne claimed to be on Celene's side attempting to prevent Gaspard's coup. Ellana wasn't sure that she bought it. She most certainly did not trust Florianne. As hard as she had tried, no visions had come to her on the details of this evening. She was in the dark, and she felt uncomfortable. She was used to relying on her visions for information and to feel prepared. 

She nodded to her party once again. It was time to go and play Florianne's game to try and discover the truth. They entered a section of the palace that appeared deserted, and heard a scream. They entered a room to find a female elf on the floor, and someone over her with a knife. _No more!_ Ellana thought to herself, and kicked the attacker through the window. "Are you alright?" Ellana asked.

"I am not hurt. I should have known this was a set up. Briala sent me here, and there shouldn't have been anyone else here. She wanted me killed." The elf said, visibly shaken.

This alarmed Ellana. Why would Briala betray one of her own? It made no sense. "Why? If you have reason to distrust Briala, I want to hear it."

"I knew her when she was still sleeping with Celene. She wants to play revolution now, but I remember her from before. She was sleeping with the Empress that burned down our entire Alienage." 

Ellana looked down. This was nothing she hadn't already gathered. She knew this of Briala. She knew that Briala had done everything in her power to save the Alienage, and was locked up and betrayed by Celene. And that is how this whole revolution began. Briala was true to her cause. "Go. Get out of here," Ellana whispered, and the girl fled. Ellana felt Solas' aura bristle against hers, but she didn't look at him. "Let's keep moving," she said to the others and moved on to the next room.

They traveled through the castle, killing Tevinter enemies along the way, until they came once again upon Florianne near a rift. 

"Inquisitor, I wasn't certain you'd attend." Florianne said with bitterness. "You're such a challenge to read, I had no idea if you'd taken my bait." 

"I fear I'm a bit busy at the moment, if you're looking for a dance partner." Ellana said coldly.

"Yes, I see that. Such a pity you did not save one final dance for me. It was kind of you to walk into my trap so willingly. I was so tired of your meddling. Corypheus insisted that the empress die tonight, and I would hate to disappoint him." Florianne said, sneering.

"Why kill the empress?"

"Corypheus will enter the Black City and claim the godhood waiting for him. We will cast down your useless Maker and usher in a united world, guided by the hand of an attentive God." She said casually, as if this were a perfectly normal sentence. "No one would imagine that I would kill Celene myself. All I need is you out of the Ballroom long enough to strike. A pity you'll miss the rest of the ball, Inquisitor. They'll be talking about it for years." She smiled and turned to leave. "Kill her, and bring me her hand. It will make a find gift for the master," she said to her men. 

Then, all 15 of her men aimed their arrows at her, and she felt a cold barrier wash over her. _Solas, _she thought. She used his cover to avoid most of the arrows, jumping through the air, and disrupting the rift as she landed. They made quick work of the men, and closing the rift was as easy as all the rest. A man that was tied to a post sighed in relief. "Thank the Maker, there aren't any other demons are there? I knew Gaspard was a bastard, but I didn't think he'd feed me to fucking horrors over a damned bill!" 

"Gaspard did this to you?" She asked.

"Well, his sister. But it had to come from him, didn't it? The Duke wanted to move on the palace tonight, but he didn't have enough men, so he hired me. Stinking poncy cheesemongers," he grumbled.

"Want a new job?" Ellana said, chuckling at his dark humor. 

\------------------------------------------------------------

Ellana and her team entered the Ballroom without a minute to spare. Cullen hurried over to her. "Thank the Maker you're back! The empress will begin her speech soon. What should we do, Inquisitor?"

"Wait here, Cullen. I'm going to have a word with the Grand Duchess." Ellana said softly.

"What?" he whispered, "There's no time!" 

Ellana briskly walked right up to the front. The court got louder as they saw her approach. "We owe the court one more show, your grace." She said boldly and clearly.

Florianne turned and looked at her with hate. "Inquisitor." 

"When your archers failed to kill me in the garden, I feared you wouldn't save me one last dance." 

The people in the ballroom gasped as they watched on, Celene leaned over the balcony to listen.

"You even framed your brother for the murder of a council emissary." Gaspard stepped forward angrily. "It was an ambitious plan. Celene, Gaspard, the entire council... all your enemies under one roof." Florianne tried to feign innocence, but no one believed her. Gaspard turned his back on her as the guards took her away. 

"You lost this fight ages ago your grace. You're just the last to find out," Ellana said as she turned her back on Florianne, and went to join Celene, Briala, and Gaspard on the Balcony. 

"I demand answers," Celene said in quiet outrage. 

"Empress Celene," Ellana began, "Gaspard has planned a coup this evening, and was planning on overthrowing your reign. He has smuggled in many of his men, and I have someone willing to testify as evidence. I would not have been able to gather this information or save your life, if it wasn't for Briala's help."

Celene looked at Briala in shock, "You were working together?"

"Of course", Briala said coolly. 

Celene looked at Gaspard. "You have caused so much damage. Made many attempts on my life and my crown. It is too much Gaspard. I sentence you to death." 

Gaspard looked down, and set his shoulders back with bravery. Even now, he showed courage. He allowed the guards to take him away. 

"Thank you, Inquisitor, for everything you've done... for us. And for the empire. It will not be forgotten."

"I am happy to assist you, Empress Celene", she said with a bow, "Briala." 

\----------------------------------------------------

The party was beginning to die down. Ellana was exhausted, but had to keep a smiling face for just a while longer. She sat on a couch in the corner, hoping for a few minutes peace. She saw Briala approach.

"Inquisitor," Briala said with a small smile.

"Briala," Ellana replied with a nod. 

"Thank you, Inquisitor. This evening has been... beneficial for us both. I am planting whispers that Morrigan should accompany and assist you. I'm sending a gift along with her, that I allowed her to find. Mien'harel," she said with a smile.

"Mien'harel", Ellana responded quietly. "Until the next time."

Briala nodded as she left. Ellana escaped to the balcony and breathed in the cold night air. 

"I'm not surprised to find you out here. Thoughts?" Solas asked as he approached.

"We achieved all of our goals. I'm just hanging on to a moment of peace while it lasts", she smiled at him.

"You should!" he laughed, "They're fleeting enough.. hang on to them while you can. Come, before the band stops playing, dance with me." 

"I'd love to", she said softly, as he reached for her.

He twirled her around the balcony as he had in her room in Skyhold. He pulled her closer, and whispered in her ear, "You are... so beautiful." He snuck a kiss on the tip of her ear before pulling away, so as not to give the court any reason to judge her.

"And you, are very handsome" she said as she pulled him close to kiss him. She expected him to protest to avoid the eyes of the court, but he did not. _'He doesn't care'_, she thought to herself. _'He only pulled away for my comfort.' _And it was true. He cared not what mortal humans thought of his love. He was confident and proud. Their stares and whispers mattered not, to him. And she loved him even more. She pulled his confidence and pride and made it her own. They danced until the music slowed, and began walking towards their rooms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mien'harel - rebellion


	22. The Hunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW ***shameless smut**

They walked towards the guest room wing, their auras dancing and mingling around them. "Your advice to follow the servants led to our success this evening, Solas."

"I told you to 'hunt well', and you did" he said in a strange tone. She had never seen him like this before. He was confident and walked with purpose, as if he was less inclined to act the part of apostate at the moment. They approached her room and slowed. She leaned against her bedroom door, and he leaned over her, his arm resting on the door above her head. "There are always spirits who press close to the veil, observing the thrones of powerful nations, and I understand why. I had forgotten how much I enjoy court intrigue", he said leaning in close, "how much I adore the heady blend of power, intrigue, danger, and sex that permeates these events." 

"Reminiscent of your days amongst the Evanuris?" Ellana said in a low whisper, as she lightly placed a hand on his chest. "I imagine they underestimated your prowess in subterfuge and the game." 

"You would imagine correctly" he said, almost a growl against her cheek. He moved to lean against the wall beside her, crossing one leg over the other and his arms crossed. "It was a bit different, but any society plays the game to advance their status and power. I enjoyed it immensely at the time. However, I witnessed the machinations and betrayals of many great civilizations and empires in my journeys through the fade."

"You must have learned a great deal by observing so much." 

"I believe so, yes." He suddenly pushed himself from the wall and turned to leave. "I admired your tenacity and determination this evening, Inquisitor. I congratulate you on your victories." He turned his head slightly, and she could see the curl of his lips as he smiled and said, "Good Night."

"Good night, Solas," she said in a low and tantalizing voice. She watched him enter the room beside hers before she opened the door to her room. 

Her room was unbelievably decorated with remarkable tapestries, and the fire was already lit so that her room was warm with a cozy glow. Suddenly, part of the wall next to the fireplace began to move, and she suddenly realized that it was a secret door. Solas stepped through with a charming smile.

"...He....hello", she said with clear surprise on her face.

"Hello again," he said as strode to her side and pulled her to him. He leaned her back and kissed her deeply.

"That door was convenient" she said with a smile.

"I know a few of the elves here who have agreed to spy for me, and pulled a few strings so my room was adjacent to yours" he said softly as he kissed her neck. 

"Ah, throwing your weight around, Fen'Harel?" 

"When it gets me closer to you? Absolutely" he said with a growl as he nipped at her ear. His aura was remarkably reserved and calm, almost calculating. She felt the thrill of suspense shiver through her body, and she bit his lower lip aggressively. 

He responded immediately, and she felt his aura surge through the room, encompassing her completely. He pushed her back up against the door roughly, and pressed his body against hers. She felt the hard weight of him against her stomach. She gasped, "Solas..." she moaned as he nipped at her neck once more. She heard a low growl in his throat as he used one hand to aggressively grope her breast, and the other to cup her sex. Already, she bucked into his hand wanting... needing more. She felt him reach down and slowly pull her dress skirts up, scraping her thighs with his fingertips. She felt his hand between her legs and was overcome with need. She reached her head up and bit into his throat, marking him. He moaned in response and roughly inserted a finger inside of her. She felt him pumping his finger in and out of her as he pressed his palm against her mound. The pressure of his hand alone was enough to send her reeling. She kept nipping his neck and was just barely able to reach his ear. She sensually licked from the lobe all the way up to the tip, when she suddenly bit his ear. She heard him inhale sharply from the pain and pleasure of it and pushed her more tightly against the wall. He inserted another finger inside of her and then started moving intricately against he sweet spot deep within her, all while circling his thumb against her clit. She had never felt this way before. She was already so close... he had her coming undone in just a moment with just his touch, and he knew it.

"Come for me," he growled into her ear. "Right now", with a deep voice in a demanding tone. As he spoke, she felt the heat of his breath on her neck. He suddenly increased the speed and force of his fingers, all while moving them while independently while they were inside of her. The combination of this sent her careening over the edge. She began to scream and he placed his hand over her mouth. Surely someone would hear her, but she couldn't stop. She couldn't hold it in. She bucked against his hands and felt herself convulsing at his fingertips. Her whole body shook violently against his. Her scream quickly turned into a soft, high pitched moan. She couldn't open her eyes, she just stood their pinned against the wall breathing heavily as she recovered. She felt him kissing her neck as he removed his fingers. He slowly reached around behind her as he kissed her lips and unzipped her dress. She felt it fall to the ground around her ankles. He leaned down slightly, and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he began to carry her to the bed. She felt his cock underneath her ass, and she felt a warm tingling sensation run through her body. She shivered still, and she opened her eyes to look up at him. He had a smug smile on his face as he laid her down on the bed. She sat up quickly before he could do anything else, and she reached out to unlace his breeches. He ran his hands through her hair aggressively, pulling slightly. Once she had untied them she pulled his clothes down and off of him and he pulled his shirt over his head. She took his length in her hands and began pumping him slowly. He stood there at the foot of the bed, looking down at her with that same smug smile. She looked up at him as she slowly brought her mouth to his cock. She gave him the most sensual look she could through her long lashes, and slowly licked the length of him. 

While her aura still buzzed from her climax, his was still calm and in control. She reached out with her mana and sent warm tingling sensations around his balls and deep within his backside. At this, he inhaled sharply and she noticed his aura buzz ever so slightly. He gazed into her eyes intensely as he tangled his fingers into her hair and forced her to completely take in his cock. Her eyes watered as she nearly gagged from the size of him. She used her tongue to graze the underside of his shaft as she pulled back, and swirled it around his head as she sucked slightly. Once again, she saw his aura quiver ever so slightly. She wanted to tease him. She licked at the large head, and opened her mouth wide to take him in, before quickly removing her mouth. She heard him growl slightly, and he took her by the hair once again and moved her head so that she had to take him in once again. She opened her throat and sucked hard, and she heard him grunt as his aura quivered. She danced her tongue around the length of him and flicked her tongue along his head, before increasing her pace. She moved her entire torso back and forth just to get his entire length in her mouth and throat. It felt as though he was getting even larger as she worked him, and she caressed his balls with her hand while squeezing the base of his cock with her other hand. She let her palm hold his balls as her fingers explored what was past them. She pressed into the skin there and he moaned heavily, and he leaned on the bed on his knees. He grabbed her hair once more, and began pumping himself into her mouth. While they had only been together a few times, she had never seen him like this. He grunted as he pumped his hips, and she felt his aura compress even more around him tightly. He was working to stay in control now. She wanted him to lose that control. 

Then, suddenly, he removed himself from her mouth and pulled her up on her knees so that they were both on their knees on the bed, bodies close together pressing his cock against her stomach. He kissed her deeply, and their tongues danced together. He bit her lip before he whipped her around and pushed her gently so that she leaning down on her hands and knees. He leaned down and she felt his hot breath on her sex. He dipped his tongue inside of her and she breathed in sharply. She wasn't even sure what he was doing, but she felt like she was loosing herself. He was doing things to her that she hadn't realized could be done, and she heard herself moaning his name, although she had no control over it. She felt him slap her ass and grab at it before he reached around and groped her breasts roughly. He kneaded at one and used a finger to rub her nipple. The heat from his breath, the movements of his tongue and fingers, and his groping at her breasts made her loose control again. She buried her face in the bed as she came crashing down. Her whole body convulsed once again and she felt her warmth and wetness coating his face. He removed his mouth before guiding his cock to her entrance. She was still climaxing, her walls still convulsing as he entered her. She felt herself convulse around his cock as he slowly pushed his way into her, and she heard him moan loudly. Her walls gripped him tightly as the last wave of her climax hit her, and he fell forward holding her torso tightly as he bit into her back.

"Vhenan!" He moaned loudly as he pushed even further inside of her.

"Fuck!" she shouted into the covers, "Solas...."

"Elvar?" he asked in a choked voice.

"Sathan, Elvar'el" she whined. 

He pushed himself back up onto his knees and slowly pulled himself out of her. He pumped his hips hard and completely sheathed himself with her. She cried out into the covers of the bed, gripping them tightly. She felt a shock run through her body. Even after two orgasms, his length and girth stretched her beyond what she imagined possible, and as he reached her end she felt pain, and he paused a moment, feeling how tight she was and hearing her cry out. But she enjoyed it... she needed more of it. "Elvar'el"... she whispered. 

He moaned heavily, as if hearing those words on her lips was a fire and he was ignited. He grabbed her hips tightly and ran himself into her again. He completely sheathed himself within her each time, and the sound of his hips hitting her ass seemed to encourage him even more. He grabbed at her ass with his finger tips and quickened his pace. Each time he hit her end she whined loudly. She had never made this sound before, and she could tell that he liked it. It felt to Ellana as if he was hitting a wall deep within her, like he was reaching the end of her as he completely filled and stretched her. "Ma diana em gasha!" she shouted into the covers. At hearing this, she heard him nearly shout out with a moan and he quickened his pace once again. He pounded into her with everything he had, and she screamed into the covers. 

He removed himself from her and she whimpered. He flipped her around and laid her down on the bed. He threw both of her legs above his shoulders and entered her again. She cried out at the shock of it. She felt even tighter than she had a moment ago at this angle, and she felt every detail of his cock against her walls, the ridge of his head, him throbbing inside of her. And he felt the curves and ridges of her walls squeeze and tighten around him, and he cried out softly into her neck as he bit her. She dug her nails into his shoulders, and he began pounding into her again at an even quicker pace. She wasn't sure how long they stayed like this, but she lost herself to more waves of pleasure as he pounded against her. 

Suddenly, he removed himself from her and leaned back on his knees. She sat up and grabbed at his cock with both hands, like it was her life-line. She whimpered up at him and he looked down at her with that same smile. She began pumping him aggressively and licked the head of his cock as sensually as possible. She heard him growl from deep with-in his chest as he leaned back further. She could feel him pulsating and throbbing in her hands and mouth and knew he was close. Just the thought of him climaxing made her feel dazed and she moaned onto his cock. He felt her moan in her throat, and felt the vibrations of it around him, and it sent him over the edge. He growled again, grabbing her hair and forcing himself deep within her throat once more before loosing control. She opened her mouth again for him as his white, hot liquid shot from his cock into her mouth and dripped down her face. She felt it overflowing from her mouth as it dripped down her chin and cleavage. Solas continued to moan with each wave of his climax. She swallowed hard, and he pushed himself deep within her throat slowly, and she felt his cock convulse with in her as his hips shook violently. 

He leaned back once again with a heavy sigh, and she crawled up to him and began kissing him. She kissed his shoulders, and his chest, and his neck, before pulling him by the hands to come lay with her. He laid down into the pillows and she laid on his chest. She continued kissing his neck and ear, sucking gently. She glanced at his face, and his eyes were closed. She looked at the light sprinkling of freckles on his face, the scar on his brow, his chiseled jawline and the dimple of his chin. She looked at his long slender ears. They were perfectly shaped, and came to a point near the back of his head. Just looking at them made her shiver. "You're so handsome", she sighed.

He smiled slightly, "oh?"

"Yes", she said as she lightly brushed his cheek with her fingertips. "Your jawline is exquisite. And your high cheekbones with the lightest amount of freckles... and your ears...."

"My ears?" he said, eyes still closed but raising an eyebrow.

"They're perfect. I can't help but nip at them while you're fucking me."

He chuckled at her swear, and she could tell he enjoyed the praise. 

He had one hand on his chest and she examined it more closely as she continued kissing at him. His fingers were long and slender, and just looking at them made her think of how they felt inside of her. She took one in her hand and kissed it gently. He opened his eyes and watched her. "I love your hands." 

"You do?" he said curiously. 

"They're quite handsome. I can tell that you know what those long, slender fingers do to me."

He chuckled again as he used them to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. 

"Not to mention, all the beauty they create?"

"What?" he asked seriously.

"The rotunda for instance. Solas, I've never seen anything so beautiful. Even with your many years of study, I have to believe you especially talented."

"You flatter me," he said with a slight blush.

"Nothing but the truth," she said sweetly as she kissed at his neck and ears once again. 

He sighed heavily, "If you keep that up...." he said with a moan as she nipped at him with her tongue. 

"What?" she asked teasingly.

"Then I won't be able to help myself... and I fear I may have been a bit too rough with you the first time."

"Nonsense," she said, although she knew what he meant. She was already feeling sore between her legs, and she couldn't stand right now even if she wanted to. "I loved it," she said as she bit his ear.

He inhaled sharply, but replied "let's get you cleaned up." He stood and walked over to the water bowl that was on the dresser. He wove his hand over the bowl and warmed the water before dipping a rag and wringing it out. He came over to the bed and slowly wiped her breasts and cleavage, slowly moving up her throat, kissing behind the rag. When he reached her mouth, he kissed her deeply. "Ar lath ma," he said softly.

"Ar lath ma, Solas" she responded sweetly. "Thank you, I don't think I can stand up right now even if I wanted to" she laughed.  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her. "Was I too rough?" he asked while smiling.

"It was perfect," she said darkly and tantalizingly, pulling at him.

He leaned down and bit at her lips as he kissed her, "You...... are trouble little wolf."

She grinned up at him. "It's that... what did you call it, indomitable focus? Although I suppose you got your wish. You have certainly dominated it at this point." They both laughed softly and genuinely. He tucked the covers in around her and picked up his clothes before heading towards the secret door by the fire.

He looked back at her, and she could see the firelight dancing in his eyes. "Goodnight, Sal'lath."

She smiled at him, "Good Night, Sweet Wolf."

The name clearly surprised him as his eyebrows shot up. She highly doubted anyone had ever referred to the Dread Wolf as sweet. No one, until her. She saw a strange look in his eyes as he smiled back at her before closing the secret door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elvar- hard  
Elvar'el - harder  
Sathan - please  
ma diana em gasha - you fill me perfectly, completely  
vhenan - my heart  
sal'lath - soulmate


	23. The Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Hey there!  
I can't believe how long it's been since I started writing this story, and how much time has passed since I updated. I really loved this story, and I'm sad that I stopped writing it for so long.  
When I took a break, my grandpa had passed away, and then my grandma-in-law, and then Covid happened, and it's just been a whirlwind. I'm really sorry to all of the readers who were really into this story with me. I hope that some of you will read this update <3  
Special shout out to Hazjena and Eli for their comments last year <3 Reading them helped inspire me to keep writing_

Solas closed the secret door and slowly leaned against it as he closed his eyes. He could feel her aura mingling with his, hers tingling in her afterglow. Even as rough as he had been with her, he had been holding back. He imagined all the things he could do to her, the magic he could use on her that no other living soul could, the way he could make her feel. He sighed and opened his eyes. Being at court, playing the game again, it had brought out a side of him he hadn't felt in ages. When he had first stepped foot in the Winter Palace he instantly felt the familiar tingle of subterfuge, the twinge of wit mixed with dirt and lies. And while the mortal human players were nothing compared to the days in which he played with the Evanuris, it was a small taste. Regardless of the players or the venue, he was always underestimated, and he always won. 

He smiled to himself as he walked over to the extravagant bed. His smile faded as he realized in some cases, winning wasn't pleasant. She hadn't realized, hadn't even flinched when he had called her 'little wolf'. After the strange encounter with Briala, it had only taken him 10 minutes to find an elf loyal to him, and only 5 more minutes to have all information regarding Briala and the White Wolf. He knew right away, even before the servant had told him it was Ellana. His White Wolf. Of course. His first instinct was hurt and jealousy. Why hadn't she told him? He didn't think she kept secrets from him anymore. 

And then he remembered the nightmare he had accidentally shared with her... the memory... Felassan. She knew he had killed Felassan for siding with Briala rather than siding with The Dread Wolf. Solas sighed as he laid on the bed. Ellana was powerful, intelligent, beautiful... but she was not a player of the game. 

There was a sudden but quiet knock on the door. Solas snapped his fingers and the door opened. 

A small elven girl walked in without making eye contact and bowed low. "Fen'Harel. I have the information you requested about Briala and Ellana." 

Solas rose and walked over to the girl, taking the papers from her fingers. "Thank you, Laisa. Please continue with these reports when we return to Skyhold."  
  
Laisa began to bow but Solas held out a hand. "You must not bow, or act any differently around me. Do you understand?"

She quickly stood up and looked him in the eye. "Yes, Fen'Harel."

His eyes softened. "Not just to keep up appearances. I am no god for you to cower in front of. You are one of The People. Keep your head high." 

"Yes.. sir," she stuttered, clearly not agreeing with him. He could feel the fear in her aura. He sighed and waved her off, and she left the room quickly.

Solas spent an hour reading the reports. Ellana had been busy. An extra half day here or there during missions, and only when her team consisted of The Iron Bull, Varric, and Cole. Many people had been freed, many children, and all thanks to her. There was a flyer mixed in with the reports, a wanted flyer, with a price on The White Wolf's head. He would have his spies eliminate the posters. And then he would have his spies find all the elves she had freed and have them join his cause. Already, many elves had begun to disappear from the eyes of the humans. He had been preparing safe places for them for quite some time. He would make sure the freed elves would find their ways there. 

He smiled to himself. With Ellana's help, Briala had made her way to a position of power within Orlais. And little did Briala know, that all of her loyal servants were actually his. Every time Ellana or Briala had thought they were improving their own rebellion, their own positions... they were actually improving his. He reminded himself that the person he was fooling was his Sal'lath. She was most likely waiting for him even now. He laid on the bed once more and with a sigh entered the fade.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He opened his eyes and instantly felt the pull of her aura. She was searching for him. Wisdom found him first.

"You seem troubled."

He sighed. "Why do you speak in common?"

"Practicing," Wisdom replied shortly. "What are you hiding?"

"Practicing for what?"

"For my conversations with Ellana. And whatever your hiding from her... don't."

As suddenly as she had appeared, Wisdom vanished. Ellana ran through the green light of the fade and found him. "There you are!" she beamed before sending her aura out to his. The feel of it still took Solas' breath away, especially the way it was feeling right now. It was charged, on fire with passion and desire. He remembered their night together, the feel of her trembling beneath him, and his own aura sparked around hers. 

He had decided to tell her. But perhaps in a little while. She traced a finger down his arm and began to turn away in an attempt to tease at him, but he grabbed her wrist and threw her on a bed he had suddenly conjured. He pinned her down with his body, licking at her skin. "Ma eolasa em?" he growled into her neck. 

She looked at him, her eyes dark with lust. "Always." 

His magic suddenly soared through the space, enveloping them. She was pinned down by the weight of it, though he chose to also pin her hands down with his. He would show her things long forgotten. The Game had gotten under his skin, and he needed to dominate her. He needed to show her so much pleasure that she would never want it any other way. And in the ages to come, he would never forget the way she screamed his name that night. 

\----------------------------------------------

The journey back to Skyhold was a pleasant one. The days were warm and sunny, and they spent their nights in the fade. Every single night, Solas would touch her in new ways, used ancient magic that had been designed over thousands of years perfecting the art of pleasure. He remembered lovers in Arlathan, sometimes being gone for a week at a time doing nothing but making love. He remembered rolling his eyes at them at the time. Now he envied them and their immortality. If only they had their immortality back, he would spend the same amount of time making love to Ellana. And Ellana was a quick learner. Many of the techniques he used on her, she had learned how to use on him. Even now as they entered Skyhold's gates, his spine tingled, still feeling the aftereffects of their adventures from the previous evening. He felt her aura, calm and pleasant even now. Their auras had grown stronger in the past week, their love-making only strengthening the magical connection. The more time they spent together, the stronger it became. 

"So, you and Shiny, huh?" Varric said as they were handing over their mounts in the stable. 

Solas rose an eyebrow at the dwarf but said nothing. 

"You two are making oogly eyes at each other. So yeah, I think everyone knows. Was it the dress? She was stunning." Solas sighed and left. "Fine," Varric called after him, "I'll just ask Ellana." 

Solas breathed in the musty air of the Rotunda as he placed his pack on the desk. He had been putting off the conversation with Ellana. Spending time with her in the fade had been too enjoyable. He had lost himself to passion and lust. It had been ages since he had felt lust coursing through his body, and never had he felt it accompanied with such overwhelming love. But they had returned. Now was the time. 

He slowly rose up the stairs to her tower, feeling the weight of a millennia's worth of years in his bones, the tired ache in his heart. He took a deep breath and knocked on her bedroom door. 

"Come in," he heard her sing out. He entered and felt his aura naturally find hers and it calmed him. 

She turned to face him and her face fell slightly. "What is it?"

He took a breath and walked over to the fireplace, starting a massive fire with flick of the wrist. "There are some days... when I look at you and reminded of myself. The way you think, the things you do. I must say... I like the cape." He pulled out the Wanted flyer from his cloak and held it up. He heard her hold her breath, felt the tension in her aura. "A rebel, saving the people. It sounds somewhat familiar, no?" he smiled at her. He expected her to deny, or defend her actions, but instead she remained quiet. "You and Briala have been busy."

"Please... don't harm her," he heard her voice, small but clear from the corner of the room. He looked at her, slightly shocked that she would feel the need to plea for such a thing. Had he indicated he would harm the elf? "I'll give you the password for the Eluvians. I've been trying to think of a way to do so without compromising her. Now that I don't need to worry about that, it's yours. I suppose it always has been." He felt more shock, and shame. The love of his life felt the need to lie in order to protect the life of another elf... from him. It was this moment, more than any others, that proved his actions against Felassan were not the correct course of action. There was another way, but he had chosen the wrong path. He felt his heart squeeze tightly in his chest. 

"Ironically, the password is Fen'Harel Enansal," she whispered. "I was quite sure you hadn't given your blessing however." 

Solas had to laugh at that. He certainly had not. His laugh was cut short due to the rising pain in his chest when he saw the look on her face. "You have what you need. There's no need to harm her. Perhaps you could use her? At the very least she isn't standing in your way. Would you grant us access to the Eluvians?" She seemed so nervous. So unlike herself. He hated it. He hated that he was the cause. Just like all the others of this world, they were terrified of him. And this time... he had given her a reason. It was his fault. 

"I would," he whispered. "For you, of course I would." 

She gave him a tight-lipped smile and fidgeted with her night shirt. "You... won't harm her?"

"Vhenan," he whispered as he slowly approached her. He took her hand in his and gently rubbed it with his thumb. "I won't harm her. I..." he started to say 'not a monster', but stopped short when he remembered he was one. He looked away, his ears tinged pink. "Perhaps... I've been wrong in the past. Too harsh. I'll try and fix that." She smiled at him, a real smile then. "You've shown me there are things in this world that are worth fighting for. I will never give up on The People, never stop working to bring back my world, to restore things to the way they are meant to be. But, I'll do as little harm to the people of this world as I can manage." 

"We will save them, Solas," she said with determination. 

"I would cherish being proven wrong, Vhenan. You have a habit of doing that... perhaps there is hope." He couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. He hadn't believed in hope, for longer than he could remember. She was truly remarkable, for it was certainly her presence that had brought hope back into the world. He had planned for hundreds of years, slept and planned for a thousand more, and never found an acceptable alternative to his plan however. He didn't see how it would be possible to save this world and his own. But she made him want to believe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ma eolasa em? = do you trust me? (literal = do you know me)


	24. Ise'melana

Skyhold was a magical place, but felt especially magical during the summer months. It wasn't hot, but it was warm and comfortable, and the few children that remained spent their days in the garden feeling lazy from the sunlight. 

Ellana walked through the garden, admiring the beautiful flowers and tending to her teas and herbs. She hummed sleepily as the mid-day haze turned into late afternoon. She felt two arms wrap around her waist, and she smiled. "Vhenan," she said softly. 

"Ma Vhenan," Solas whispered back. It had been a month since the ball at the Winter Palace, and while their days were consumed with work and preparations, the nights were slow - sometimes filled with adventure, sometimes with calm and relaxation, and other times filled with unbelievable passion. Ellana turned in his arms and planted a soft kiss on his chin.

Suddenly, giggles erupted from the bush behind them. Ellana smiled, as did Solas to her surprise. "Ella and Soli, sitting in a tree!" a small voice rang out. 

"Vana!" Ellana called out in a pretend-annoyed voice. "Come on out of there!"

A small elven girl, only going up to Ellana's knees, stepped out from behind the bush. Vana was one of the last orphans left in Skyhold. Ellana had found a home for her just last week. While she was happy to help the girl find a good home, she was sad to see her go. 

Ellana pictured Solas with the girl. She nearly laughed at the thought... Fen'Harel, the dread wolf, and a 4 year old. "Vana, what do you think of Mr. Solas' shiny head?"

"Hey!" Solas said playfully. 

Vana giggled loudly, "So pretty!" 

Solas suddenly knelt down to the ground in front of Vana and smiled. "Ar dirthan'as ir elgara. Ma'sula e'var vhenan. Ma hartha?"

Ellana was about to tell Solas the child couldn't speak ancient Elvhen, and nearly laughed, but before she could do so the child beamed back at him. 

"Ar hartha, hahren." 

"Ar eolasem ma unelana!" Solas said with a smile and a small pat on the child's back. 

"How?!" Ellana exclaimed, a smile spreading across her own face.

"Sometimes, our people can pick up on the rhythm of the language, like magic. Most children can. It is a beautiful thing," he said as he patted the girls hair.

"Baba Solas, I wanted to show you first," the child whispered, pulling at Solas' cloak. The little child held out her fist in front of his chest and they watched as her hand was coated in the thinnest layer of ice. "Magic!" she practically squealed. 

"Dalen!" Solas said softly but with pride. He held out his hand over hers and helped form her ice into a tiny hart. The girl giggled and took the hart in her other hand. She threw her arms around his neck and he picked her up gently. 

Ellana's emotions were out of control. At first, it was the sweetest sight she had ever seen. But when the child produced magic... "Solas," she whispered, tears stinging her eyes. Ellana had found Vana the perfect home, and now the Templars would have her instead. A life in the circle. 

"It's ok, Vhenan, shh, it's ok," Solas soothed. "Dalen, will you wait for us over on that bench?" The girl smiled and ran over to the bench he had pointed out. He pulled Ellana to him, "Don't cry, Vhenan. I have a place for her. A place she'll be safe."

"What? You do?" Ellana gasped in surprise. 

He nodded. "We need to talk, in private." She nodded back and led him up to her quarters. 

Once she closed the door, he held her hand in his and began. "The elves you've been freeing... I may have been guiding them to locations, safe zones I have built in preparation for my plan."

"You... you've been... all... all of them?"

"Most of them... others have been working for me, as spies or laborers, or builders." 

"I... you..." she stuttered. 

"There's something else, Vhenan, and I fear you'll be angry with me. Briala's servants? Her people? Pretty much any elf associated with her... or your rebellion..." 

"No..." she said softly. "No way." 

He nodded, "They are actually working for me." 

"Son of a..." she started, then took a few steps back slapping her hand to her forehead as she took a deep breath. "Well, I know I shouldn't be surprised Fen'Harel. I really, really shouldn't. But I still am. Am I unbelievably naive?" 

"No, Vhenan... well perhaps a little. Much less so than most mortals." 

She groaned at him, "That was a rhetorical question, Solas."

"Ah," he grinned. "The point is, I'll have one of my people go with her through the Eluvians to one of my sanctuaries. She'll be well taken care of, I promise you."

"One of... your many... sanctuaries," Ellana looked at him incredulously. "Why... why didn't you tell me?" But she already knew the answer. There were still many things she didn't know. And if she were honest with him, there were still things he didn't know. And they could both feel that now, their auras giving them away. They had been avoiding that up until now, foolishly living in their new found bliss, avoiding certain harsh truths. Their summer was coming to an end. 

They looked at each other with sad eyes. She nodded. "Thank you, Fen'Harel. Please, keep her safe." 

He closed the gap between them. "No. Please, Ellana, don't call me that. Not like that." He grasped her hand with his, and caressed her face with the other. "Sal'lath," he whispered, and his mana reached out to hers. 

She closed her eyes, feeling their mana mix and sighed. "Solas," she whispered. She felt his lips on hers and she kissed him softly. 

When they parted she sighed again. "Any other secrets you want to share right now?" It wasn't asked sarcastically, but openly. She was offering. He looked at her face. "Your vallaslin."

She looked down. "Yes, you showed me in the fade. A slave marking." The thought had haunted her, something that had been ingrained into her culture, something so respected and held dear gotten so incredibly wrong. 

"I can remove it."

She looked up at him in shock. Her instinct was to recoil from the thought. She had been taught to treasure her vallaslin. Then she thought of how it must look on her, to him. A constant reminder. She thought of her rebellion. _Never again._

"Do it," she said, her voice clear and strong.

He searched her face. At first, he seemed surprised by her answer. Then he kissed her cheek softly. "I didn't tell you this to hurt you. It's just... you deserve better than what those cruel marks represent." 

"Never again, Fen'Harel," she said with a firm smile.

He seemed genuinely happy and he raised both hands over her face, and faint blue light coming from them. He started at her chin. "I have done this so many times before, all so very long ago." His hands raised towards her brow and then over her forehead, until both hands rested behind her ears, caressing her head. "Ar lasa mara revas," he whispered, as he had said every time countless times before. 

She turned and looked into the mirror on her desk. Her vallaslin was gone. She felt good... sad... free... lost. She wasn't sure how to feel. Her face looked so bare, empty.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly. 

"Yes," she replied. "Please, go see to Vana. She needs you." She felt his hand at her back. 

"I will return soon." 

\------------------------------------

Night had fallen, and Ellana remained in her seat at her desk, staring into the mirror. When Solas entered her room, she hardly stirred. "Vhenan," he whispered as he kissed her neck. "You are so beautiful," he said softly. "And I see the beauty that lies within." She turned to face him and gave him a small smile. 

"Come, there is much I need to show you," he said as he held out his hand. He guided her to the bed and tucked her in gently. He pressed his finger to her forehead and sent her to the fade.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ellana opened her eyes and stared at an incredible sight.

"This was my palace, once," he said softly from behind her. 

"This was... yours?" she asked, her voice full of awe. 

"Yes. It tells a story I wish you to see." 

A spirit approached Solas and asked him something softly, and when Solas responded the spirit stepped aside. "This way, Vhenan." They stepped through an Eluvian and came out closer to the main castle. Solas guided her to a wall to their left. "Here. This mural tells the story of the Vallaslin, and how I removed it from those who came here seeking protection. I removed their symbolic chains."

He pulled her through another Eluvian and they stood in front of another mural. Solas cast a spell over it, and suddenly, she could see a story written on it. She read the greeting of the Dread Wolf, offering protection to any who seek it. She kissed him on the cheek. "You are a hero, Vhenan." 

He blushed. "I am not. This is but a small piece of the story I am afraid. But still, it was my intention to free The People, and to offer them protection." He brought her through another Eluvian, and to another mural. He cast his spell, and she read The Dread Wolf's call to arms, to rebel against the false gods. 

"This place was once a sanctuary," he said softly as he looked out over the lands. "Similar to the ones I am creating now. Although it is more extravagant here. The old magic has worn away, but luckily this structure was on the ground rather than floating in the air, so it wasn't completely lost." 

He turned to her then, and she saw the serious look on his face. "What is it, Vhenan?" she asked as she took a step towards him. 

"Vhenan, I must use the orb. It is vital." Ellana shifted uncomfortably. He was venturing dangerously close to one of her secrets. "I don't wish to keep this from you. There are still things I can't tell you, but I..."

She stepped into his arms. "Tell me, Vhenan. We're in this together. I can help you." 

He sighed. "I am regaining strength by the day. It has been more than a year since I woke. Corypheus orb... my orb..." he waited. 

"I know, Vhenan, I know," she soothed. 

"I need it to have enough strength to tear down the veil, and then defeat the Evanuris." 

"Ok," she said trying to sound confident. "That's our plan anyways right? Defeat Corypheus? What happens if the orb is lost?" 

She felt his aura tense. "It can't be lost, Ellana. I..." he couldn't finish. 

"We can do this together, Solas," she assured him. He sighed and squeezed her tightly. "Thank you for showing me this place." She looked out over the grounds, and up at the golden castle. Although she knew who he was... that he was unfathomably old, and unfathomably powerful, and that he had lived such a life... it still took her by surprise. This castle was his. "Maybe one day, we can come back here. Just the two of us. A vacation." 

He chuckled. "A vacation?" 

"Do ancient gods not take vacations?" He stiffened, and she elbowed him in the stomach. "Joking!" 

He grumbled and nuzzled into her neck. 

"Solas... what happens if the orb is lost?" 

He tensed significantly. "You need to know Ellana, I walk the dinan'shiral."

She turned sharply in his arms. "No." 

"Ellana," he said firmly. "We'll get the orb from Corypheus. And then, perhaps... either way, there will be suffering. And I don't want it to be yours, Vhenan. I should carry this burden, not you." 

She gripped him tightly. "We're in this together, Solas. Let me help you shoulder this burden. I'm with you till the end." 

She could feel the conflict within him. "It would be kinder in the long run," he said as he began to pull away.

"Don't you dare," she said, gripping his arm. "I am stronger than you might think, Solas." 

"Of that, I have no doubt," he chuckled. He sighed. "Ma serannas, Vhenan." 

She smiled and placed a small kiss on his chin. "So... did you bring all of your girlfriends to this tower?" 

He snorted. "Hardly." 

"So I would be the first?" 

He shot her a sly grin. "You would." 

She took a few slow steps away from him before laying down on a desk. "In that case," she said as she beckoned him over. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Ar dirthan'as ir elgara. Ma'sula e'var vhenan. Ma hartha?" - I speak to you from the fade, from the language of our heart. Do you understand?  
Ar hartha, hahren - I understand, elder  
Ar eolasem ma unelana - I knew you could!  
baba - papa  
Ar lasa mara revas - you are free


	25. The Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _**Trigger warning: depictions of verbal/emotional/abuse**_
> 
> _Papae - dalish for father ;_  
Mamae - dalish for mother

“You fucking bitch! What do you think you’re doing?” he screamed, face red and eyes dark and black with anger. 

“I don’t know, Papae!” Ellana sobbed out as she collapsed to her knees, her hands balled up in fists at her side. 

“You think you can look at me like that? You think you have the right?!” he shouted as he slowly approached her. She said nothing, her voice lost. He reached out and she flinched, squeezing her eyes shut for a split second, but forcing them back open in defiance. He reached out and pushed her head hard. “You don’t have the fucking right, you hear me?” He began circling her and pushed her head forward hard with a cold hand. He came back around so that he stood in front of her. “Fucking asshole!” he yelled as he pushed her head again, this time from her forehead so her head rolled back on her neck. She refused to crumple in fear, to give him the satisfaction. Refused to do anything but kneel, her eyes staring a hole into the ground as if she could conquer that single spot. 

She had a dream, like all the others. A warning. He was going to get angry because she had left items out in her room. Anything less than perfect wasn’t good enough. In her dream, she had seen him throw a picture frame into the wall, breaking it. It wasn’t fair. So instead of cleaning her room before that happened, she hid the picture and looked into his eyes with a look of defiance. That was all it took. 

“You’re a fucking asshole, Ellana! I’ve given you everything! You ungrateful bitch!” he said, sticking a finger in her face, bending down so that she could feel the heat of his breath on her forehead. He pushed her shoulder so that her bottom hit the ground hard. 

“I’ve never hated someone I love so much,” the man whispered bitterly.

She looked up at him, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I know,” she said in a sad voice, wishing beyond anything she could just make him happy, just be what he needed her to be. But for the life of her, she couldn't figure out what that was.

“Ellana!” 

“No!” she cried out, shutting her eyes tightly.

“Ellana! Please, Da’len.” 

That voice. It wasn’t her Papae. She opened her eyes slowly, letting the tears stream down her face. But before her eyes could focus on the new figure in the room, the setting changed. Their clan had moved. Her family had new tents. And her Papae now sat in the corner, looking at her, the same dark anger in his eyes. 

“You’ll leave. You’ve never appreciated us, everything we’ve given you. One day, da’len, you’ll leave. And you’ll leave us all alone. You’re all we have. You’ve always hated us, even though we’ve loved you so dearly. And one day you’ll break our hearts.”

“No, Papae, I won’t! You’re all I have too. I won’t leave, Papae!” She said, tears brimming. 

He looked away. “Why are you the way you are, Ellana.”

Ellana’s heart broke, the pieces jagged and raw. She ran up to him and put her hands on his shoulders, “Why do you hate me Papae?!” she cried out, pleading. 

“Don’t fucking touch me!” He screamed, the black anger in his eyes consuming the entire room. He reached out in a flash and pushed her hard so that she went flying back, her head hitting the wall. "How dare you push me?" he screamed, before storming out of the tent.

“No, Papae!” she reached out for him as she lay pitifully on the ground. She shut her eyes tightly. “No… no… Papae…” she sobbed. 

Ellana crawled after him, but a shadowy figure stood behind her and held her shoulders gently. “No, Ellana, stay here.” 

Ellana took her fist and hit her forehead. “I think I’m going crazy, Mamae” she cried. 

“Ellana…” the voice said softly, suddenly very near to her. 

Ellana opened her eyes slowly. “Solas?” she asked. She recognized him now. She knew that she loved him, but she couldn’t remember more.

Suddenly, a man with a wolf-head cloak appeared behind Solas. He looked identical to Solas, except his eyes glowed red, and he had a menacing smile on his face. He smirked at her, “Poor little da’len. Not enough then. Certainly not now. Not enough to defeat Corypheus. Not enough to be the Inquisitor. Certainly not enough to be the love of Fen'Harel."

“Ellana, you can fight off this demon. You can tell him to leave. You have the power to do so,” Solas said gently.

The demon had other plans. “There’s no way he loves you, da’len,” demon Solas said with a cold laugh. “The things he’s seen, the years he’s lived? You are a child, grasping at things you do not understand. You could never be enough. He is a god after all.”

“He’s not,” Ellana said, shaking her head, trying to gather her courage. “He is a man. And I love him.” 

“Even if he wasn’t a god,” the demon spat, “he’s still a man. And you know deep down what that means.” The demons eyes changed from red to a familiar cold and angry black. Solas, with black eyes and a cold smile reached out and pushed her. 

“Fight, Ellana. This is your dream, you are in control,” the real Solas whispered.

“So you love him? Tell me then, who were his friends? Where did he live? How old is he? What is his favorite color?”

“Stop,” she pleaded.

“If you love him, who is he really? Does he even actually love you?”

“Stop,” she cried.

“Or does he love the anchor? Once that’s gone, what will be left? This isn’t love. It’s infatuation. And it’s one sided.” 

The demon pushed her up against a wall and held her face in one hand against it, “Fight all you want da’len. You’re in over your head when it comes to the Dread Wolf. A slow arrow, da’len. You’ll never even see it coming.” The demon pushed off, her head slamming against the wall.

“ENOUGH!” She heard the real Solas yell. Suddenly, a bright green light flashed across her vision and a strong breeze blew away the vision of her dream, the nightmare demon with it. He had wanted to let her deal with her own demons, but it had gone too far. He couldn't stand by and watch it harm her.  “Open your eyes, you’re safe now. It’s just a dream, Ellana. I’ve changed the fade, look. We’re somewhere beautiful now.”

She changed from a child into an adult, and suddenly remembered where she was. The Inquisition. She was away on a mission, asleep in her tent. 

“Solas!” she cried as she reached out and put her arms around his neck. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. Why am I dreaming like this?” She said, fear still clinging to her heart. 

She could even see the concern in Solas’ eyes. “You don’t often dream normally, Ellana. You are a dreamer, like me. I am uncertain why the demon had such an effect on you. What is the last thing you remember?”

“I went to sleep in my tent. Sera took watch. But…” something was surfacing in her memory barely there… “We… were attacked. Solas! We were attacked, an ambush. I left my tent. I… was shot with an arrow. Oh god, Solas, am I dead?”

“No, Ellana, I wouldn’t be able to find you here. I felt your aura was distressed in the fade and sought you out.” He looked her over for a moment. “Perhaps the arrow was poisoned. It’s affecting your mind. How far are you from Skyhold, Vhenan?” he asked, trying to remain calm.

She pressed her eyes shut, trying to remember. “Not far, Solas. I’m not sure,” she whispered, feeling faint. 

“You are supposed to arrive tomorrow evening,” he nodded.

“Solas, I… don’t feel so good,” she said, her vision spinning. She felt a cooling magic cascade down over her body, and she felt instant relief.

“It’s alright, Vhenan. That will help you here and your body. Stay here. I’ll be to you soon.”

Before she could even tell him not to come, he had vanished. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“SHITE!” Sera shouted. 

“You are not helping!” Cassandra growled. 

“Shite, fart, fu-”

“NOT. Helping,” Cassandra yelled. 

“Will you both shut up? I need to concentrate! This is not my forte,” Dorian said, stress seeping through his voice. 

“Yes, you’re more good with the fire and explosions. If I were gonna mess with shite magic, I guess that wouldn’t be so bad. I can just use my bees though.”

“NO MORE BEES,” Cassandra said, stomping towards Sera. 

“Don’t know what you’re missing,” Sera mumbled under her breath. 

Cassandra rolled her eyes and turned to Dorian. “How is she?” 

Dorian cast another spell over the arrow sticking out of Ellana’s chest. “I’m not sure, Cassandra. I’m keeping her alive. I’ve tried getting rid of the poison, and I believe most of it is out of her system. The remaining traces are giving me a hard time. We need someone skilled in healing.”

“She’s been like this for hours!” Sera interjected.

“Someone should go for help,” Dorian said after a slight pause. 

“Sera, you’re fastest. I’ll stay and guard them,” Cassandra said.

Sera looked at Ellana nervously. “I…”

“I know you don’t want to leave her, but it will save her life.” Sera looked away. “It wasn’t your fault, Sera. It was an ambush. We did everything we could,” Cassandra said before clearing her throat. “Go, take my horse, he is fast and reliable.” 

Suddenly, they heard someone running through the brush nearby. Cassandra gripped her sword tightly, and Sera pulled both her daggers. 

Solas emerged from the darkness of the trees. “It’s just me, friends” he called out. 

“Solas?” Cassandra asked, confusion written on her face. 

“Where is she?” he asked quickly. 

“Here,” Dorian said from behind the pair of women. “Quickly, Solas.” 

Solas ran past them and knelt down beside her. 

“How are you here, elfy?” 

“She reached out to me in the fade. Luckily, I had spent the evening out of Skyhold, and you all were very close to home.”

He cast a few spells over her body. “Dorian, can you cast a sleeping spell over her once a minute? She needs to stay unconscious.” Dorian nodded and cast a spell. “Cassandra, please hold down her shoulders while I work on removing the arrow. Once it is removed, I will need to remove the remaining poison and seal the wound quickly or she will bleed out. I also need to ensure there is no damage to her heart beforehand,” he muttered out quickly. 

He removed the arrow and Sera gasped, turning around quickly, hiding her face so the group didn’t see the tear falling down her cheek. He cast a spell and pulled out a few droplets of poison. They hovered in the air for a second before he threw them to the ground. Cassandra stepped on them, and ground them into the dirt for good measure.

He held his hand over her heart, casting three more spells. He took a deep breath, added his second hand and cast one final spell. Cassandra gasped as she watched the hole completely disappear from Ellana’s chest. 

Solas took a cloth from his satchel and gently wiped the blood from Ellana’s shoulder. He muttered softly into her ear, ancient elven that the rest of the group didn’t understand. Sera held back a sob and walked away. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of crackling wood, the smell of the fire. That’s what she noticed first. Then it was the firelight dancing on her eyelids. Then it was the shuffling of papers. Ellana tried to take a deep breath but coughed when a strong pain in her chest prevented her from doing so. “Solas…” she croaked out, somehow knowing he was there.

“Vhenan,” he whispered, leaning over her cot and taking her hand in his. “You are safe.” 

“The others?” she asked quickly.

“All well, just worried about you. Sera left you a cookie, but I'm not sure I would eat it. It looks... interesting.” 

She sighed in relief. “Thank you, Vhenan. You… you saved me.” 

“Because your aura was strong enough to reach out to me, even across all this distance.”

“How… how did you get here?”

He leaned down close to her ear, “Ma’ fen.”

She opened her eyes in surprise and looked at him in wonder. “Not a horse or a hart?”

He shook his head and she saw the corners of his mouth turn up ever so slightly. “I am much faster.” 

“You’re incredible,” she smiled sleepily.

“You should rest,” he said gently.

“I… pulled you to my dream. I suppose I should thank you for that as well. The demo..”

“Do not mention it here, Vhenan,” he said, worried that should one of the humans hear about the demon from her dream, there would be consequences.

She nodded. “Still. Ma’ serannas, Solas.” She looked down. “I know you kept me safe, but… you saw things I wish you hadn’t.” 

He pulled her chin up between his finger and thumb and leaned down to kiss her gently. “I’m sorry to intrude. Each of us has a past. There are many things from mine that I wouldn’t wish for you to see. But Ellana, I love you. You know this.” He reached out his aura to hers and caressed it gently, and she smiled.

“I know,” she said softly.

“Perhaps I should show you some things from my past,” he said thoughtfully.

“I would be grateful,” she said, hopeful. 

They sat in silence for a moment. 

“Was that your father?” he asked gently. 

She nodded, and peered up at his face. He wasn’t looking at her, but staring at the wall of the tent. She felt his aura become clouded with sadness and anger. She reached out and gently touched his arm. “He did not deserve you,” Solas said softly as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. He looked away once more. “It is unwise to harm the sal’lath of Fen’Harel,” he said, a slight teasing note in his voice. He looked down at her and spoke softly, “I may be a man Vhenan, but I will never harm you.” The sincerity in his aura and the break in his voice caused her to reach out to him, caressing his cheek. He turned to it and kissed her palm. “Not intentionally,” he said with sadness. 

“I know,” she said, the exhaustion causing her to slur her words.

He smiled at her and gently placed her hand back down on the cot. “Sleep, ma’ vhenan. I will be here waiting for you when you wake.” 

She smiled and fell quickly into a dreamless sleep.

He looked down at her now peaceful face and pictured the young girl from her dream, scared and alone. He had seen so many different forms of abuse over his many years. During his days in Arlathan, he saw many men and women who were constantly emotionally and mentally abused or neglected. And during his sleep, he saw some women battered to the point of death. It always disgusted him. Solas wondered if her father ever left bruises, or if the bruises merely lay beneath the surface, still haunting her in her dreams. He couldn’t imagine being so blessed as to have a child and then mistreat them. A cold mix of jealousy and anger settled over him. He shook his head hard, trying to shake the feelings away. He deserved that life even less. How many children had grown old and perished since he tore down the veil? How many abused and enslaved because of him? He deserved a worse fate than the one he secretly wished on the dalish man from Ellana’s nightmares. 

Why had he promised her that - that he would never harm her? He felt the despair creeping into his heart. He knew the way this would most likely end. And while he would protect her from harm, could never lay a hand on her, he knew some wounds didn’t lie on the surface. Some wounds were much deeper, and much worse. 

  
  
  



	26. Consequences

Ellana woke to find that she had slept in quite a bit. Light streamed through the fabric of her tent, and she could hear the voices of her companions out in the camp. 

"I did no such thing!" Cassandra's voice rang out as Dorian and Sera snickered. 

"Did so! I saw it!" Sera said, and Ellana heard the elf make a farting noise that was uniquely Sera. 

"Ugh," the Seeker huffed, "We all know that it was the two of you on the brink of tears in a state of panic, and not I. If it wasn't for Solas showing up, I would have had to carry all three of you back to Skyhold."

"Ah, yes, our hero mage, from hobo apostate to unlikely savior. How did you get here so fast?" Dorian said with a touch of jealousy. 

"As I said, I had spent a few nights out of the keep and was luckily nearby when she reached out to me. Don't worry, I'm sure if your healing magic wasn't up to snuff, you could have shocked her out of her state with your loud outfit."

"OH shite! He really told you," Sera snickered. 

"And why were you spending your nights wandering around in the cold?" Dorian asked. Solas only paused for a second, but it was all the time Dorian needed. "Oh goodness, you missed her didn't you? Was that big old keep a bit too empty? Is our resident loner growing lonely?" Dorian teased. 

Ellana slowly made her way out of her tent. "Hell Dorian, you of all people should know how irresistible I am."

Dorian stood quickly and wrapped a gentle arm around her waist, "If you say so darling. Here, sit." He helped her sit on the log beside Solas. 

Ellana looked around and noticed the relief and contentment that filled the camp. They were happy, and so was she, albeit sore. 

Suddenly, a man appeared from behind the brush of the forest. Everyone except Ellana stood quickly, Cassandra's hand flying to the hilt of her sword while Sera nervously hovered over her arrows. "Who are you?" Cassandra bellowed.

Ellana gasped. She recognized this man. "Solas..." she whispered. "From my vision, with wisdom," she said in modern Elven as quietly as she was able. Solas visibly stiffened and gripped his staff. How had they not sensed the man's approach? In her vision, he had been clumsy and dull at best. Most definitely not good enough with magic to conceal his presence from the most powerful people in Thedas. 

The man's eyes began to glow. "Abomination!" Cassandra yelled loudly, getting into a protective stance. The Seeker summoned her energy and let loose a blinding Wrath of Heaven. It was quite incredible, and Ellana relaxed slightly. The man crumpled to the ground. Cassandra began to sheath her sword when faster than what would normally be possible, the man leapt up, his eyes glowing brighter than before. He grasped Cassandra by the throat and a strange magic began sucking the life out of Cassandra. 

"NO!" Ellana yelled. She leapt from the log only to loose her strength, her knees buckling, and she hit the ground hard. She knew this would happen. She knew saving Wisdom would lead to great consequences. But apparently, consequences be damned if it helped Solas. How could she have been so selfish?

Sera loosed two arrows that hit their mark, but the man didn't even blink. Dorian cursed the man with terror, but nothing. Suddenly, a strange power rose from beside her. It felt as if the oxygen was being sucked from the air around them, and it was hard to breathe. Dorian and Sera's eyes were wide as they desperately looked around to find the source of the sudden unbearable discomfort. Ellana looked at Solas to see his arms raised and his staff pointing towards the man. Solas closed one fist and the man crumpled, screaming in pain. Cassandra dropped to the ground and instantly began dragging herself along the ground away from her attacker. Solas jerked his fist towards the ground, and the man exploded into ashes. There was nothing left. Solas released his energy and it was like a weight was lifted from them. 

Solas dropped to his knees, breathing heavily. Ellana reached out to Cassandra, but before she could use healing magic, Dorian was there. "Let me," he whispered as he gently put his hand over hers. She nodded.

"Aggh," Solas groaned as he doubled over, his head low and dropping his staff. 

"Vhenan!" Ellana said as she went to him. "Shh, rest," she soothed as she helped him lean back against the log she had been sitting on before this whole mess. 

Sera was looking at Solas with a strange, untrusting glare. "Thank you... Solas," Cassandra choked out, her throat bruise and damaged. 

Solas just huffed, still out of breath, his eyes closed. "Sera, will you send for someone to come pick us up from Skyhold? Send a horse and cart, and perhaps ask Cullen to escort us back."

Sera nodded, uncharacteristically quiet and ran towards Skyhold. 

\------------------------------------------------------------

By the time Sera returned, it was dusk. Dorian had taken down their tents, and the wounded trio spent a couple hours slowly getting packed. 

"Makers breath, I'm glad you all are alright," Cullen huffed as he jumped down from the cart. The two soldiers from the front of the cart jumped down and helped carry the packs to the cart. "This shouldn't have happened so close to Skyhold. I'll send out more patrols." Cullen leaned down and put Cassandra's arm over his shoulder. "Easy there," he said quietly. Whatever weird magic the man had used, it had sucked the energy out of her, and she was visibly drained in addition to the bruising on her neck. 

Ellana put her arm around Solas' waist. "Creators, Solas!" she gasped, and the group turned to look at her. "You're burning up!" She felt his damp clothes and watched the sweat drip from his brow. 

"He used an ungodly amount of mana. I don't know how he survived it at all," Dorian said softly. 

"If he hadn't, I'd be dead," Cassandra said with a cracked voice. 

Once Cullen had Cassandra situated, he helped Solas and Ellana onto the cart. 

"Maker, what happened exactly?"

"I told ya! A crazy fat man with eyes and shoes and a weird mustache. Then magic and Cassandra being a badass but that not mattering much, and then Solas being more of a weirdo than before and it felt like we was dying. So we needed a lift, yeah?" Sera said, clearly feeling more agitated than normal.

"You see?" Cullen said towards Cassandra with a raised brow. Cassandra huffed a small laugh, and Dorian proceeded to translate Sera's story. 

"What kind of magic was that, Solas? It was unlike anything I have felt before."

"No kidding," Dorian huffed quietly, giving Solas a strange look.

"I believe it to be old Elven magic. I came across it during my.."

"Explorations of the fade," Sera finished for him in a sing song voice.

"The circumstances seemed to require an on the field testing, however I wouldn't recommend it," Solas said with the smallest smirk. His cheeks were rosy, and he was still sweating profusely. Ellana looked at him with concern, but he gave her a small reassuring squeeze as he held her hand.

"You look ill, Solas. Are you alright?" Even Dorian was becoming worried. 

"I believe so," Solas panted slightly. 

\-------------------------------------------

It took a couple hours, and it was well past dark, but they finally arrived at Skyhold. "A healer should look at your neck Cassandra, before you retire for the evening," Solas called out as Cullen helped her towards the mage tower. Ellana realized what a remarkable sight that truly was, and smiled a bit as she watched the pair go towards something neither of them would have before. 

"I'm worried about the reaction," she heard Dorian say. She turned to find Sera had already disappeared, and Dorian whispering to Solas. Solas was leaning heavily on his staff and shook his head, but Dorian persisted. "That could have killed you my friend. You should also visit the tower. Your body is taking ill because of it."

"I assure you, I will be fine with a bit of rest. Thank you for your concern."

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him."

"Ah, and who will keep an eye on you? You two are so stubborn, I swear," Dorian said with a smile on his face as he walked towards the tavern. 

"Vhenan," she said, her voice filled with emotion once Dorian was out of ear shot.

"Let's go rest, Vhenan," he said, his voice stronger and clearer than it had been all day. He still leaned on his staff, but his step was full of energy as he followed her towards her quarters. Once the doors closed, he suddenly straighted, set his staff by the door, and cast a cooling spell over his body. 

"Ugh, that was dreadful," he sighed.

She rose an eyebrow at him and crossed her arms. "Really? Dreadful? Ugh, if you're making jokes, then perhaps I shouldn't worry so much about you."

"Ah, the pun was not intentional, I assure you," he said seriously as he wrapped his arms around her.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, noticing he wasn't burning up at all. He was no longer pale, was no longer hot to the touch, and he seemed fine in fact. 

"Perfectly fine, I assure you. I couldn't use my true power in front of them without their suspicion, but... I couldn't let her die either."

"Oh Creators, Solas! So you were faking!" she said as she punched his chest. "What did you do, cast a heat spell on your body?"

"A few," he chuckled darkly. "It worked. I didn't think you'd fall for it too. I had to make them think that was difficult for me."

"You are dreadful," she said with a straight face. He gave her a blank stare and she began giggling uncontrollably, flinging herself on the bed.

She opened her eyes to see him shaking his head as he tucked her in, the smallest smile tugging at his lips. "You're exhausted."

"I am," she said softly. "She would have died. If it wasn't for you. The consequence of my abilities, the consequences of my interference. That man... he must have summoned someone else instead of wisdom. Someone who took advantage. And because of that... who knows how many other innocent people he attacked," she said sadly. When she opened her eyes again, he was smiling gently at her. "What, Vhenan?"

"You said someone," he said softly. "You are a rare and marvelous spirit, Vhenan. Sleep, now."

She was too tired to ask what he meant. "Thank you, Solas."

"For what?" he asked.

"For saving me. For saving Cassandra. For risking revealing yourself for us." 

"You're worth the risk, Vhenan."   
  
She smiled and drifted off.

His smile faded. When had she become worth the risk? What would he have done if they had become to suspicious? They still might. Before Ellana, he wouldn't have hesitated to kill them if they got in his way. If Cullen, Cassandra, Dorian, or even Sera questioned him or tried to stop him. When had he become so soft? And for what? His path hadn't changed course. His destiny was set. Why was he getting lost in this world? Why was he pretending to be apart of it? 

He went over to the fireplace and made a small pot of tea. He plopped down by the fire and drank it as he considered his options. 


	27. Calm Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

Skyhold was exceptionally quiet. While Ellana and her party rested and recovered from their injuries, a unsettling silence seemed to fall over the hold. Ellana felt smothered by it, and she could tell from her companions nervous fidgeting that they felt much the same. The warrior's shouting and the clanging of sword against shield in the courtyard cut through the air and was especially noticeable compared to the quiet backdrop of the keep. The calm before the storm. Everyone knew that a battle with Corypheus was approaching, it was only a matter of time now. 

"Did I tell you all about the human dwarf who had the dwarven nobles convinced that he was also a dwarven noble?" Varric said, jarring the group out of their stupor. 

"No shite?" Sera responded, suddenly very interested. 

"You're joking?" Krem said with a grin. 

"Are we really to believe all of your stories?" Dorian drawled. 

"Here me out there, Sparkler! It's all true!" Varric boasted before continuing his story. 

Ellana slipped away, a smile on her face as the other's leaned forward to better hear Varric's tale. As soon as she opened the door, she could smell the mix of paint, old books, mint, and the faintest ozone scent from Solas' magic. Honestly, it smelled like home. She turned into the rotunda to see a new mural being painted on a new section of wall. It was absolutely breathtaking. Solas' was hunched over in concentration, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips once their aura's reached for one another. So not to disturb him, she sat on the couch, bringing her legs up under her and resting her chin in her hand. She watched him for a couple hours as he continued painting. It was peaceful, restful, unlike most of her time these days. The sun went down, and the sound from the training ground died out as the warriors left and headed for the tavern instead. Many of the people from the library began coming down the stairs, silently nodding a goodnight to her as they left for the evening. 

Ellana quietly went out to the mess hall to see if Varric and the others were still there, but the entire hall was empty. It was a good night to go to the tavern. Nothing to do but let off some nerves with excessive drinks and laughter. She returned to the rotunda to find Solas taking a step back to check his work. She stepped up behind him and slid her arms around his waist, pressing her nose against his back. He squeezed her arms gently and stepped back up to the mural for some finishing touches. 

That's when Ellana had an idea. "I'll be back," she said quietly before running up to her room. 

\---------------------------------------------

By the time Ellana returned 90 minutes had passed. She had a bright smile on her face, and her cheeks were flushed from the cold mountain air. 

"Vhenan," Solas said quietly as she entered. "I've just finished."

Ellana looked up at his work. "I wasn't wrong," she said with a quiet smile.

"You rarely are, Vhenan. What are you referring to?"

"Out of all the magnificent things I've seen you do, this is the best." He chuckled and walked up to her, slowly reaching behind to thread his fingers through her hair and hold her neck, planting a gentle kiss on her lips. "I've got something for us for tonight," she said with a sigh, taking his hand and leading him towards the front gate of the keep.

"We're leaving Skyhold?" he asked, his curiosity peaked. She said nothing but continued leading him on. They walked for another 10 minutes past the last tent in the valley, until they reached a small tent and fire that she had set up. "Why come all the way out here, when you have a perfectly comfortable bed?"

"Because what we're going to do," she walked up suggestively, "No one should see." She watched the tips of his ears turn a soft shade of pink and she laughed. "I was speaking to Wisdom last night..."

"You... were?" he said, surprised that his friend had willingly talked to another mortal soul without his presence, as he had never known Wisdom to do that before. 

"Mhm... She's been helping me research shape-shifting outside of the fade. I couldn't believe how fast you reached me, and I suppose that could be very useful." Solas nodded, unsure what to say. "Will you help me, Solas?"

He smiled, "Alright, Vhenan. Very few can however, but if anyone can it's you." 

She beamed at him, set down her pack, and they began. 

\----------------------------------------------

Another hour passed and sweat dripped down Ellana's brow. She hadn't anticipated how difficult this was going to be. Every ounce of magic needed to be pinpointed in very specific directions. Each time she would mold her magic into the smallest needle in one spot, she'd loose control in another area. She was getting so close now, but she was exhausted. 

"You're tired, Ellana. At this point, perhaps too tired. I believe you'll get it right away with some fresh energy." Ellana nodded in dissapointment. "Don't be upset, ma vhenan. It would be nearly impossible to get it in one try. Perhaps you'd allow me to help you?" He said quickly at her saddened face. She rose an eyebrow in question. "I could siphon my power to you, guide your mana with my own." 

She thought about it for a moment. She had wanted to get it on her own, but she was far too tired for that now. Her best hope now was to get it on the first try, even if that meant with his help. She nodded, "Alright."

Suddenly, she felt an immense, cool power rush over her. It was almost too much, she nearly felt like she was drowning. "Breathe, Vhenan," Solas said soothingly. She breathed in deeply, as she felt the gentle nudge of his mana. She used her own, and together, they began working her magic over herself. "You're nearly there. You must use that indomitable focus now, Ellana. Gather all of your will and focus it into the correct shape." She felt another gentle nudge of his mana, and just like that, she was suddenly much lower to the ground. The air seemed less cold, and she felt more strength than she ever had. She saw her white fur blow in the strong mountain breeze and she yipped with excitement. 

She sat, as straight and tall as she could manage, looking up at Solas with an elegant air. 

"You're beautiful," he said with a sweet smile. 

Suddenly, she watched as he transformed. She fought the urge to cower low to the ground as he grew to an incredible height. Nearly as tall as the tree tops, with 6 red, glowing eyes staring down at her. She watched as then, he began to shrink in size, all the way until he matched her own size. He nudged her with his nose, and began to run. She felt his mana reach out to hers, feeling light and playful, and she ran after him. All feelings of nervousness gone, she felt the raw power of her new form. She was running as fast as her hart ever could, and Solas was faster. He turned and headed back towards their make-shift camp. Solas stopped, waiting for her to catch up, and she plowed into him, unable to stop as quickly. They both tumbled forward through the snow. Solas returned to his elven form, and she followed.   
  
She was laughing uncontrollably, "I'm so sorry, Creators, I couldn't stop!"

Solas chuckled in return, "You'll have to get used to being that fast." 

"Solas, you were as tall as the trees! How?!"

He smiled at her, his pride coming through, "Ah, that is my true size. I condense my mana down until I am small enough to blend in." 

She crawled over to him and planted a kiss on his chin. "So big," she said, wagging her eyebrows at him. He huffed and rolled his eyes. "Show me something else that's big, Solas," she said in a tantalizing tone, nearly surprising her own self at her boldness and ridiculousness. She could tell he felt the same, unsure whether to laugh at her, or do just as she had asked. She didn't give him the chance to think on it further, as her cheeks burned bright red. She leapt up into his lap, so quickly that he fell back into the snow, wrapping his arms around her waist as she followed him down.

He gasped as her mouth covered his, pressing her tongue to meet his. The kiss was wet and messy. Ellana had felt his mana becoming more and more withdrawn since the day she was poisoned. She wasn't sure what had caused it, but she was feeling nervous. Nothing in her visions had indicated that something was amiss, but then again they never did give her consistent or reliable signs. All she wanted from this moment was to make him forget all of the things troubling him. All of the things separating them. _'That sounds like running from your problems,' _ she chastised herself. She quickly pushed down the thought and kissed him with urgency.

She felt his length harden and press against her. She rolled her hips forward grinding into him slowly, and he moaned deliciously into her mouth, his hands running up her tunic. "It would seem ancient elves are better endowed," she smiled against his neck, and she felt the rumble of a growl deep in his chest. "But I wonder," she said as she ground her hips into his, "is their stamina better? Truly better?" She let her knee fall to gently bump against his balls and she felt a huff of air escape his lungs. "I've seen how your endurance is in the fade, but what about in this world? I wonder if you can keep up?" she goaded. 

"I could show you, but," he said in a deep growl as he flipped her onto her back, "ar tel' nuvena nuem ma." _I don't want to hurt you. _

She smiled as he slipped into archaic Elvhen. She always knew she was doing well when he couldn't help but speak in anything else. He had been reduced to his native tongue, as it danced on her skin. 

"Ma' fen," she said, in a tone that was clearly daring._ My wolf._ He growled in response, and she knew she had said the right thing. She growled back and flipped them once more. She slowly pushed herself down his body, lifting up his tunic and nipping at his skin. When she reached his naval, she looked up at him through her lashes. "Ar'm daral ver ma' em av'in," she breathed hot air on his stomach, going lower to the lines of muscle that led down to his groin, "i ava ma sule ma elana ver ra." _I'm going to take you in my mouth, and suck you until you can't take anymore. _

He grunted, pupils blown wide, and grabbed a fistful of her hair, pushing her down further. A smile spread across her lips as she let her magic tingle along his skin. 

"My mah, jupala ma elvar," she continued as she dug her fingertips into the waist of his pants and pulled them down, "on'ala fen ju'ierlahna sul em." _After that, I will fuck you so hard, that even the great wolf will scream for me. _

He dug his fingers into her scalp and pushed her head down hard onto his length. "Pala!" he grunted, louder than he would ever admit. _Fuck!_

She sucked hard, grazing his shaft ever so gently with her teeth as she pulled back up. She swirled her tongue around his tip and left him, making a popping sound. She quickly went back down again, her tongue pressing hard against his head before being forced down his shaft. He groaned loudly, his hips rising up sharply. Her magic continued to tingle small waves of heat across his skin, edging ever so slowly towards his balls, and the skin past them. 

"More..." he groaned, "more magic." 

She complied instantly, sending her magic shooting across his length, past his balls, and then deep into him. His eyes shot wide open and he gasped loudly, "Agh!"

She gave him a sinful smile, "Vin, Fen'Harel. As you say, but be careful with what you wish for," she breathed as she sent her magic spiraling inside of him, adding a touch more heat. 

"Pala," he panted, "pala." His fists hit the ground as his hips rose into her. 

She had taken a gamble with that move. She hadn't before, and he had never asked. "Tell me to stop," she dared him.

"No," he ground out through clenched teeth, matching her daring stare. 

She formed an 'O' with her mouth and breathed out cold air over his length while the magic still inside him and surrounding his skin swirled with heat. He held her gaze, unflinching, but she watched as the muscles in his abdomen clenched. She smirked, and then abruptly took him into her mouth again, sucking hard. He held back a muffled groan. She reached out one last tendril of her magic and bound his hands to the earth. He looked at her in shock. She smirked once more before closing her eyes to focus on sucking at him vigorously. She let the magic inside of him grow into stronger pulses, and she heard him let out a string of archaic Elvhen that she couldn't understand. He continued muttering between gasps and groans. She felt his length begin to pulse and she stopped everything suddenly. Everything except the binds on his wrists. With the sudden lack of magic and her mouth while he was so very close to climax, he nearly whimpered out, a muffled whine still coming through. 

"Not yet, ma' fen," she cooed teasingly. "Not yet." She knew he could break the binds easily, but his hands stayed still. His face showed a mixture of amusement and pain. Amusement at her teasing although he could easily overpower her, but the pain of being so very close to finishing to only be denied. She had never been so aggressive with him before, but he found that he liked it. He gave her an encouraging grin. She slowly stripped off all her clothes, making a show of it, and throwing them about the camp.

Where their auras normally combined with an overwhelming feeling of love and compassion for one another while they joined, tonight, their auras were solely charged with lust and excitement, and it fueled them. 

She crawled up his body, nipping and licking his skin, using a cold spell on her lips. She kept going until she was at his lips. She stopped their, pausing her aggressive assault to give him the sweetest kiss she could muster. She slowly parted his lips, and poured her love into him. She felt his body relax beneath hers as he lifted his head to deepen the kiss. 

She pulled away slowly, then pressed a sweet kiss to his nose and then his forehead. He closed his eyes and smiled, a small chuckle escaping him. "Vhenan," he breathed. 

"Do you love me?" she asked softly. 

He hesitated, and she felt the tension return. "Ar lath ma," he said gently. "Ar lath ma, Vhenan." _I love you, My Heart. _

She grinned at him, "Yeah, I know." He chuckled darkly as she continued rising up until she was kneeling over his face.

He grinned up at the sight of her. "Ar juava ma," he said darkly before she knelt down onto him. _I will devour you. _He sent his mana up into her as he licked along her folds, and he felt her knees tremble by his head. He rubbed at her clit with his tongue until she was panting. He teased along her folds once more before forcing his tongue inside of her roughly. 

"Ahh!" she cried out. "Vin... vin!" _Yes!_

Her words urged him on, made him hungry for her. He eagerly lapped up at her, ignoring the wet noises coming from his actions. He felt her thighs contract against his head as she groaned. He brought his tongue out to push aggressively against her clit, and she fell forward placing her hands above his head and panted uncontrollably. "Oh creators," she pleaded. "Fuck!" she cried as he pushed back up inside of her. He could tell she was close as he listened to her shaky breaths. He sent his magic out all over her body. Heat, electricity, cold, all of it in different ways, pulsing waves over her skin, tiny pin pricks on her clit, pinching at her nipples. She was instantly sent over the edge, "Solas!" she cried out as she shook. He continued to suck at her juices until she stopped shaking. He heard her laughing above him softly.

"I was going to pull away, wait until...." she laughed again, "you always know just how to... just where... when to..." she stopped and took a deep breath. "You're amazing," she finished as she inched her way back down his body. When she had came, the bonds on his wrists had disappeared. She quickly reapplied the magical bonds and smirked at him. "Ju'pala ma elvar, Solas," she breathed against his ear. _I'm going to fuck you so hard._

He shivered at her breath and words, his cock rising up so that it gently grazed against her and he groaned. "Ar unelana pala ma, elvar'el," he growled a dare against her neck. _I could fuck you harder. _She didn't take the bait, but instead bit his neck hard. He groaned and lifted his hips up into hers. 

"Ar'an dy itha," she smirked. _We shall see. _She had wanted to slam down on him, but even after her climax, he was too big for her to take so hard right away. She went down, breathing heavily, squeezing her eyes shut tight. 

"Don't hurt yourself, Vhenan," he said soothingly. He had meant it sincerely, but it had spurred her on. She lowered herself down hard the rest of the way, and she gasped loudly. Solas groaned, his fists clenching in their binds. "Ma sildeara ir on," he whispered as she stilled atop him, trying to catch her breath. _You feel so good._

She felt a heat creep up within her at his words and she rocked against him and they both groaned. He broke free of the magical bonds and grabbed her hips. His fingertips dug into her skin, breaking her from her trance. She used her magic to force his hands back down, rebinding them together above his head. She rose up her hips and then slammed her ass back down onto him, making an obscene smacking sound. She set a brutal pace, and the sound and feel of her ass against his hips made him ache to sink his fingers into the flesh there. He went to break free once more but he felt her tighten the bonds. 

She grinned, knowing exactly what he longed for. She stood quickly, turning around and lowered herself back down so that her ass was facing him and she lowered herself down quickly, slamming down over his length. He cried out with pleasure as she started riding him aggressively. She teased him with the sight of her ass, what she knew he longed to grab most. "Ar nuvena dera ma," he growled. _I long to touch you. _

"Melena," she said with a smirk he could hear in her voice. _Wait. _

She felt his cock begin to pulse and throb inside of her, so she quickly rose up and off of him. He growled loudly in protest. "Ellana," he warned. 

"Not used to being forced to wait?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

"On the contrary," he said, calming his voice through haggard breaths. 

She pressed her breasts against his chest when she lowered herself, trailing her fingertips up his shoulders as she sent slivers of cold up his skin. She licked and bit at his collar bone as she teased his length with her slick warmth. She sent her magic once more over his body and ever so slowly up inside of him, sending pulses of heat deep within him and waves of electricity along his skin all at once. He groaned heavily, his eyes shutting tight. She kept at it, wave after wave of pleasure, still teasing him with her entrance but never letting his length inside. She increased the intensity and speed of her magic along his skin and deep within him, and he began squirming beneath her, eyes still shut and shallow, shaky breaths. "Ask me to fuck you," she breathed against his ear. 

He forced his eyes open and stared at her in defiance. She grinned and once more increased the intensity of the magic inside of him. His face twitched with need, but he didn't give in. She increased the speed and intensity again and he began moaning, his eyes shutting involuntarily. She gave a low, sultry laugh as she allowed herself to slowly lower her heat over his length. She set an agonizingly slow pace. "Elvar'el," he said so softly she almost didn't hear him. _Harder. _

She kept the same agonizingly slow pace, but with such strength it nearly hurt. She impaled herself on him time after time, until he finally asked, "Faster, Vhenan."   
  
"What was that?" she teased.  
  
"Vhenan," he growled. 

She simultaneously set a fast pace while once more increasing the intensity of the magic within him. And finally, Solas screamed. "PALA! NGhhhh... Pala!" He pulled against the bonds and she released him. 

"Pala em," she breathed, and before she even finished the command, he flipped her on her back, holding her hips high off the ground in his arms while gripping her ass. She gripped the dirt beneath her as he entered her and she yelled out, "Vin, Solas! Elvar'el!" _Yes, Solas! Harder! _"Ahhh! Ma diana em gasha, Solas!" _You fill me completely, Solas!_

She shot tendrils of magic hard up his ass, on his balls and up his length. She covered his body with heat and watched as sweat formed on his brow. He reached out with his magic too, covering her nipples with cold and pulsing against her clit. They both groaned uncontrollably now, loosing all thought. 

"Isalan ma dara su tarasyl, elvar!" she screamed. "Isalan ma gara suin em!" _I want you to come so hard! I want you to come inside me! _He pounded into her even harder, completely sheathing himself within her. He grunted with each pulse of her magic. "Gara... mala, ma' fen!" _Come... now, my wolf!_ He groaned at her words, added heat to the magic pulsing against her clit, and she was completely and utterly lost. She clamped down on him hard and screamed his name.

He came with blinding hot heat, stars against the black of his eyelids, all thoughts gone and lost. Each pulse of his seed made him growl and groan, sending wave after wave of his throbbing cock rubbing against her clit. Finally spent, he collapsed beside her on his stomach, letting his arm rest over her body as they both cooled in the night air. 

"You still surprise me, Vhenan," he said tiredly. "I did not think you would... do that." 

She knew he meant the magic she had sent up inside of him. "I admit, I surprised myself with that as well. I had a feeling in the moment you would like it."

"I did," he chuckled. He leaned up and placed gentle kisses along her cheek bone and up her ear.   
  
"Mmm... be careful not to start something you can't finish," she chuckled. It was only a couple of hours until sunrise, and after how far she had pushed him, further than she had ever seen him pushed before, she didn't think he would continue. 

He carefully pulled himself over top of her and whispered into her ear, "I thought you wanted to test my stamina."

Ellana shivered and traced her fingertips over his back. "I thought I had given you a run for your money," she teased breathlessly as he began nibbling along her ear. 

"More than you realize, Vhenan. And now, I'm going to repay you." She suddenly felt his fingertips graze along her folds, and he dipped a single digit into her ever so slowly. She gasped and grabbed his biceps tightly. He rolled his finger ever slowly and added a single point of heat at the end of his fingers. He licked and nipped at her collar bone and made his way down her stomach. He looked up at her with a devilish smirk before reaching out and mercilessly licking her clit, alternating between heat and cold spells. She squirmed and groaned as she reached for his head. She felt him chuckle against her as he continued. She felt herself reaching the edge so quickly, and groaned when he stopped abruptly. 

"Vhenan!" she whined helplessly. "Don't stop!" 

"Ar isalathe in ma," he breathed against her skin. _I long to be within you. _"Isalan hima sa i'na." _I lust to become one with you. _

Her eyes were still shut tightly, her hands forming tight fists against the ground, when she felt him enter her ever so slowly. "Ahhh, Solasss," she breathed. She moaned as she felt the smooth skin on the head of his cock rub against her entrance. He rubbed it along her folds teasingly, coating himself in her juices. He took hold of himself and entered her slowly and deeply. 

"You're perfect," he breathed against her lips before kissing her passionately, cupping her cheek and ear in his hand. He set a slow and steady pace, listening to the hitch in her breath each time he reached that spot deep within her. She went to say something, but her words were taken away from her, and so she sighed deeply instead. He watched her face, her eyes shut tight and a slight crinkle in her brow as she slowly neared her release. "Ma ane ina'lan'ehn, in dun i elgar," he whispered, his heart swelling. _You are so beautiful, in body and spirit. _

Their auras shifted from lust to love so quickly Ellana's head spun. Her own responded in kind to his, caressing and enveloping him. The sharp turn of their feelings left them both feeling raw. A single tear escaped her and rolled down her cheek, and it touched him deeply. "Ellana," he breathed, his voice broken and filled with love. He rolled his hips into hers with passion and purpose, reaching the end of her with each stroke. 

Ellana opened her eyes and saw the sun rising in the east behind Solas. It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. He followed her eyes and smiled at the sun. As it rose, it lit the snow around their camp a pink glow, giving Ellana's skin a similar glow. He gently brushed her hair behind her ear, continuing his slow and steady pace. 

Ellana's walls twitched around his length, and he groaned. "Ellana," he breathed, "I could fuck you endlessly." He felt her shiver beneath him, and knew the cold was getting to her. He cast a heat spell around her and she moaned. She was ready for him, and so he came, slowly and gently. With the last wave of his climax, he groaned out her name, and held her body tightly to his. He felt the shock waves of her own climax around his length as she gasped for breath. 

He gently released her and lowered her back down to the ground, brushing the hair behind her ear once more.

"You win, Vhenan," she chuckled softly. 

He laughed gently, "I could keep going, Vhenan. But in truth, you make it easy." 

She smiled against his neck as he lowered to kiss her forehead. He gently picked her up and brought her inside the tent. He cast a quick protection spell and then a heating spell for the tent. He tucked her underneath the covers and she hummed contentedly. He laid down beside her and she rolled so her head was on his chest. She was asleep within seconds. He traced circles on her arm as he looked at her peaceful expression. Even now, as she slept, her aura reached out to his with love. He was in awe of it. 

"Ar lath ma, Vhenan," he whispered. He spoke softly to her in ancient Elvhen. He spoke of how she was unique, rare, and wonderful. He spoke of how she changed his heart and of how he longed to be with her. He spoke of how she deserved more than what he could give. And he vowed to try and protect her the best he could. He knew that when he fell asleep, she would be there waiting for him. And he drifted, smiling. 


End file.
